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2026 state of the nation addresslatest news & developments
South Africans should not view the US-Israel-Iran war as a distant Middle Eastern crisis with unfortunate consequences for oil prices. Photo:youngrobv
2026 STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS

The Iran War is Africa’s warning: Build sovereignty or be ruled by other people’s power

A country that exports minerals but imports industrial dependence is not sovereign in any deep sense. A country that sits on energy resources but cannot convert them into stable…

  • Faiez Jacobs
8 min read
Child mortality rates remain unacceptably high. Poverty and inequality continue to shape life chances before a child is even born. (Photo: Supplied)
2026 STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS

Malnutrition could undo all the work of saving young lives

Reducing child mortality is possible. What remains is the courage to scale what works and to sustain it. If we are serious about ending child stunting by 2030, then we must act…

  • Shadi Nyokong
4 min read
For decades, well-located land has remained underutilised or locked up, while low-income households have been pushed to the urban periphery, far from jobs, schools and essential services. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy
2026 STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS

Releasing land, restoring trust: The real work after Sona 2026

South Africa’s housing crisis is not simply about the number of units delivered. It is about where housing is located, who it serves and how it connects people to opportunity.…

  • Zama Mgwatyu
5 min read
While it is true that “too many young people struggle to find their first job” (SONA), imposing the primary responsibility on young people to ‘do better’, by completing well-meaning programmes designed by adults who know what is best, absolves institutions of the responsibility to re-think their assumptions, approaches, and programming to more effectively address structural challenges. (Oupa Nkosi)
2026 STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS

“Inactive” youth, Sona’s panacea of digital skills and missed creative opportunities

If a commitment to youth-led initiative is to be taken seriously, it is imperative to include youth in decision making on where to direct investment, how to design curricula for…

  • Nokukhanya Mncwabe
  • Rike Sitas
  • Naomi Roux
7 min read
Water crisis: Residents of Johannesburg protest outside a Joburg Water depot against water outages that have been taking place in the city. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy
2025 CITIZENS PERCEPTIONS AND EXPECTATIONS SURVEY

What South Africans think of municipalities

Reports have highlighted that a significant number of elected councillors struggle with basic literacy and comprehension

  • Nyasha Mpani
6 min read