Gauteng Government Hits Back at News24 Over Claims Linking Lesufi to Hawks’ Corruption Probe in R64m Energy Project

Johannesburg, 07 October 2025 – The Gauteng Provincial Government has come out strongly against a recent News24 article, calling it sensationalist and misleading propaganda. The piece, written by journalist Khaya Koko, suggested that Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s R64 million energy project is part of a Hawks investigation into corruption. Government officials say this is not true and accuse the reporter of twisting facts to fit a biased story.

This row has sparked debate about media fairness and government openness, especially as South Africa deals with ongoing energy problems. The Hawks are looking into City Power, a city-owned company, for possible wrongdoing in buying goods and services. But the province insists the probe has nothing to do with the Premier or the overall energy plan. As calls grow for clean governance, this clash shows the tensions between leaders and the press in holding power to account. With elections behind us, critics from parties like the DA say Lesufi is not watching closely enough, while supporters praise the plan for helping communities during tough times.

The statement, released on 06 October 2025, lays out the government’s side, explaining how the article gets things wrong and ignores key details. It also points to similar energy efforts in other provinces, questioning why those do not face the same scrutiny.

The News24 Article and Its Claims

The News24 story, titled “Lesufi’s R64m energy project part of Hawks’ corruption probe,” came out on 05 October 2025. In it, Khaya Koko reports that the Hawks are digging into City Power for alleged corruption in how it buys things, and this includes part of the Gauteng Energy Response Plan tied to R64 million. The article says Panyaza Lesufi, as the head of the Gauteng government, started a programme that law enforcement thinks was hit by corruption.

It links this to wider problems at City Power, where the Hawks raided offices last month as part of a R500 million probe. The story suggests the energy project, meant to fix power issues in townships, might have shady deals. Koko’s piece paints it as a possible case of misuse of public money, especially since it happened after Lesufi took office.

This has stirred up talk, with some seeing it as proof of poor oversight. The DA in Gauteng has jumped on it, saying in a statement that Lesufi’s “poor oversight has now resulted in R64 million committed for his township electrification programme becoming a key focus of a high-level Hawks investigation into corruption at City Power.” They call for him to step up and ensure clean running of these projects.

Government’s Strong Denial and Accusations of Bias

In its media statement, the Gauteng government calls the article a “sensationalist and misleading piece of propaganda.” They say it wrongly ties Premier Lesufi to an investigation that is really about City Power, a separate city body, and not the Premier or the province.

“This is a textbook example of confirmation bias and motivated reasoning, where the journalist ignored a comprehensive set of facts, provided to him, in favour of a pre-determined narrative that suits his biases,” the statement reads.

They accuse Koko of deliberately mixing things up to create an “illegal line of accountability” from the Premier straight to City Power’s buying processes. Instead, they explain that the relationship with City Power is handled through the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs via a Memorandum of Understanding. The province’s job is to watch over results, not run the money side.
The government says the journalist ignored the full scope of the Gauteng Energy Response Plan, focusing only on a small R1.2 billion part while calling the whole thing R64 million. They call this a trick to make it sound like electioneering, even though the plan started in October 2023 – well before polls – as an urgent fix to a bad energy crisis.

Details of the Gauteng Energy Response Plan

The Gauteng Energy Response Plan is a five-point strategy to tackle power problems holistically. It includes getting rid of illegal connections, putting in smart meters to improve billing, collecting more revenue, keeping an up-to-date list of poor people who need help, and fixing damaged transformers.
Other parts involve setting up solar high masts for better lighting, refurbishing gas turbines to add 100MW to the grid, and testing microgrids in informal settlements. The journalist conveniently ignores this because it does not rhyme with his narrow, misguided narrative.

Work is ongoing and shows real results. Through Phase Two, started after elections, they have rolled out 26 transformers, 7 solar high mast lights, 1,500 smart meters, 300 protective structures, and solar PV systems for schools.

Under Operation Khanyisa, six municipalities got new transformers, helping about 40,000 households. Those same areas also saw 3,351 smart meters and 45 solar high-mast lights put in.
The plan is run as a legitimate service delivery push, not something tied to votes. Premier Lesufi has always kept a zero-tolerance stance towards corruption and fully supports the Hawks looking into City Power or any law agency doing their job.

But the government rejects any try to pull him into matters outside his role, based on slanted reporting.

Pointing Out Hypocrisy in Media Coverage

The statement calls out what it sees as double standards. It says while News24 slams Gauteng’s plan as electioneering, it ignores similar moves in DA-run Western Cape, like their “Load Shedding Relief Packs” and Alternative Energy Support Programme.

“This reveals a blatant hypocrisy: what is a legitimate service delivery programme in a DA-led province is cynically politicised when implemented by the ANC in Gauteng. The journalist fails to explain what was different from what the DA did in the Western Cape or what alternative course of action the Gauteng government should have taken in the face of this genuine crisis.”

This point has fueled talks about media bias, with some saying coverage often hits harder on ANC areas. Others defend the press, saying probes are needed wherever there are red flags.

Responses from Other Sources

SABC News reported that Gauteng government spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga stressed the probe is on City Power alone, not the Premier or province. “The Gauteng provincial government has denounced the recent media reports suggesting that Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s R64 million energy project is part of the Hawks’ corruption probe,” they said.

Social media has buzzed with the statement, shared on Instagram, Facebook, and X by Gauteng officials. Many users back the government, calling the article unfair, while others want more details on the Hawks’ findings.

The Hawks have not commented much yet, but their raid on City Power last month was part of a bigger look into R500 million in possible corruption. City Power has fought back, taking the Hawks to court to say the raid was unlawful.

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