Sona 2026
latest news & developments
In Sona, Ramaphosa signals shift from crisis management to consolidation
For the first time in several years, electricity did not dominate the president’s address
Water outages push residents to the edge
The crisis has exposed governance and infrastructure gaps as residents face ‘Day Zero’ conditions in multiple high-demand areas
A look behind the rot in policing
The Madlanga commission and parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating corruption in policing have opened a crucial public conversation, analysts say
‘A state of nothingness address’
Even before his speech on Thursday, many opposition parties had already given the president a ‘fail’
The hits and misses under the GNU
A year after the president’s first State of the Nation address as the leader of a coalition government, performance has been good and bad
SONA 2026: What’s the real dealbreaker?
For weary citizens, the president’s address has become a ritual of promises rather than a moment of reckoning. If it is to regain its dignity, it must strip away the gloss and…
Editorial: Taps – and residents’ patience – run dry
As President Cyril Ramaphosa prepared to present his State of the Nation address (Sona) on Thursday, his second in the government of national unity (GNU), residents of some…
Taking stock of Ramaphosa’s promises
The Lanseria smart city remains a dream and hunger, unemployment and crime continue to be high but there has been progress in Eskom’s turnaround
From transformation to sustained delivery
Perhaps the most tangible area of progress since SONA 2025 has been energy stabilisation. The marked reduction in the frequency and severity of load-shedding, including extended…
Ramaphosa vows to overhaul failing local government system
The president said senior officials in municipalities would be appointed through an independent process free from political interference
Sona 2026 leaves the creative sector behind
South Africa’s creative sector went into the State of the Nation address with a clear demand: recognition, reform and rescue. What it received was silence. Just days before…
Ramaphosa pledges green growth, energy reform
The focus is on manufacturing green products for global markets and modernising the country’s power system, the president says
Ramaphosa talks tough on gangs, corruption
The president said the South African National Defence Force would be deployed to support police in tackling gang violence and illegal mining
Ramaphosa announces crackdown on corruption in criminal justice system
The president said the army would be deployed to tackle illegal mining and gang violence and pledged urgent action against organised crime
EFF welcomes Ramaphosa’s announcement to deploy the army in Gauteng and the Western Cape
Party leader Julius Malema said the move signalled the president’s loss of confidence in the police