The annual State of the Nation Address (SONA) was held last night (Thursday 8 February) at City Hall in Cape Town, as the buildings of parliament have not yet been repaired after an arson attack in January 2022.
Opposition parties certainly had a lot to say in response. Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen said: “What SA needs is a reprioritisation of its national budget that cuts the fat from cabinet perks and redirects money towards better social grants, fixes our electricity crisis, and embraces policies that fast-track job creation.”
The Economic Freedom Fighters boycotted the SONA, promising to focus on their manifesto launch on Saturday, 10 February, in Durban. EFF leader Julius Malema and six other MPs have been banned from parliament for the month of February following episodes of disruptive behaviour. Julius Malema branded Ramaphosa as a “coward” who was “protected by the judges.”
ActionSA founder and leader Herman Mashaba lamented the high rate of unemployment in South Africa, saying on his X (Twitter) account: “President Ramaphosa seems to be living in a different South Africa to the rest of us. A diverse economy that is creating jobs? Surely this is not the same economy that has left over 40% of South Africans unemployed?”
Vryheidsfront Plus / Freedom Front Plus released this statement on social media: “President Cyril Ramaphosa unequivocally demonstrated with his State of the Nation Address (SONA) that both he and the ANC government have totally lost touch with the reality of the problems faced by ordinary South Africans every day.” The party’s National Youth Leader, Tammy Breedt, wrote that the SONA was “underwhelming.”
ActionSA chimed in to highlight the issues of crime, unemployment, rolling blackouts and poor state of the education system: “The President tried to rewrite history tonight at #SONA2024, but we won’t forget. Tonight, you were applauded by the same ruling party that was complicit in State Capture.
A prosperous South Africa and the ANC cannot co-exist. One must die, and it will not be South Africa. May this be the last SONA from an ANC president in South Africa’s history.”
RISE Mzansi Leader Songezo Zibi ‘s response was much the same. He highlighted poverty, rolling blackouts, high unemployment and climate change as huge issues yet to be addressed and that the country needs “new leaders.”
It is clear that a similar thread was woven through the responses of various opposition parties after the president’s SONA – The unemployment rate, crime, poor education system, and rolling blackouts were all central to their gloomy responses – a very “unrealistic” picture of South Africa was painted.
