President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Economic Freedom Fighters leader (EFF) Julius Malema led criticism of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation address (Sona), saying it lacked an account of the unfulfilled promises made in previous speeches.
Other parties, including those in Ramaphosa’s government of national unity (GNU), commended him for his emphasis on national unity, and for standing up to the recent onslaught against South Africa from United States President Donald Trump’s administration.
Malema told journalists shortly after Thursday night’s speech: “Well, there is no plan. There is no accountability whatsoever. He says they will create jobs, but he uses this platform to come and waffle. He says he will create jobs but doesn’t explain where and how. He mentions infrastructure development, with a lot of money allocated, but where and how? It looks like there’s no plan, just utterances.”
Good secretary general Brett Herron, whose party is in the GNU, said he had hoped for more clarity on a basic income grant, a financial support system for poor South Africans that has long been debated.
“It’s disappointing that he didn’t go there, though he did confirm that the social relief of distress grant [introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic] has played a major role in poverty alleviation and will continue,” he said.
“But what he really needed to say was, after 20 years of studying basic income, our state is ready to implement a social safety net that includes comprehensive basic income.”
Herron did, however, give Ramaphosa the thumbs-up for a speech that he said was more detailed than previous ones in outlining the government’s economic recovery plans.
“I think a criticism around the economic growth vision is that he is shooting for 3% economic growth, and most economists have been saying that we need at least 5% economic growth if we’re meaningfully reducing unemployment. So the target is too low,” he added.
Freedom Front Plus chief whip Corné Mulder found the president’s speech to parliament disappointing and repetitive.
“What we heard is nothing new. It’s all the same that we’ve heard in the past. The same recipe, more funds, more projects. But that’s not what people are experiencing on the ground,” said Mulder, whose party is also in the unity government.
Rise Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi, who chairs parliament’s standing committee on public accounts, said Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s budget speech later this month would be a key indicator of whether Ramaphosa’s promises could be realised.
“As a GNU partner, although outside of the executive, Rise Mzansi welcomes the inclusion of some of our proposals around independent train operators and prioritising water infrastructure at scale,” he said.
“Rise Mzansi is encouraged by the pronouncement of achieving 3% growth, which cannot be done without critical economic infrastructure, particularly logistics, energy, water and sanitation, telecommunications, and functioning local governments. We are therefore encouraged by the commitment by the announcement of investment in these areas. It is not enough but it is a start, given the prevailing economic conditions.”
He also applauded Ramaphosa for striking a strong note against the misinformation campaign that Pretoria says helped trigger the backlash against South Africa out of Washington.
In Thursday’s speech, a defiant Ramaphosa said South Africa would not abandon long-held policies of racial redress or respect for diversity which have drawn Trump’s ire.
The overall address failed to impress uMkhonto weSizwe party deputy president John Hlophe, who called it boring.
“It was uninspiring, and one expects more from someone who is the head of state. I thought he would update us on his promises in the last Sona. He had identified poverty, inequality and housing. He did not deal with any of those matters at length,” he said.
ActionSA chief whip Lerato Ngobeni said there were many promises with little indication of implementation.
“He started off well with the fallen soldiers, and that we must commemorate them, we must honour them. It is important. What he failed to tell us is why they’re there. We’re still questioning that,” he said, referring to the recent deaths of South African soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has led to criticism of the country’s involvement in that conflict.
Build One South Africa leader Mmusi Maimane rated the speech six out of 10, saying it lacked timelines. Maimane also criticised the government’s 3% economic growth target, saying it was insufficient to address unemployment.
Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen said his party’s influence helped shape government policies at all levels. The DA is the second biggest party in the GNU.
“I am extremely proud to say that our policies were front and centre in the president’s Sona. At national, provincial and local levels, DA-led initiatives were highlighted and acknowledged as key drivers of progress and reform,” he said.