Political parties in South Africa outline their expectations for President Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address, emphasising the need for economic growth, infrastructure development, and job creation. Picture: Phando Jikelo / Independent Newspapers
Economic growth, infrastructure development and job creation are some of the expectations the DA and EFF want to feature prominently in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday night.
This happens as the official opposition, the MK Party, expects nothing from what it calls a “fake” address while the ANC expects priorities in its manifesto to find expression in the government programme.
DA deputy chief whip said Baxolile Nodada said the biggest focus on SONA should be economic growth and job creation.
“If we don’t get economic growth and jobs, we can’t lift people out of poverty. Whatever plans that are put in place and contributions to be made by the president today must solely focus on economic growth and jobs,” Nodada said.
He also said there was a need to make sure there is concession for ports in South Africa so that they are able to export goods much more efficiently.
“We must ensure freight rail transports goods where they are produced to ports and other various places for us to export for the economy to be fully efficient.
“We need to cut the red-tape to make sure the policies and laws we have make it easier for people to invest in South Africa and ultimately we can create more jobs.”
Nodada stressed the importance of fiscal discipline.
“No more bailouts for state-owned enterprises. We must focus on taking that money to bread-and-butter issues of South Africa, and efficient and functional health care that works in partnership with the private sector, invest in education, and make sure service delivery in local government is completely focused so that lives of people are better,” he said.
The official opposition, MK Party, has characterised tonight’s SONA as “fake”.
“There is nothing to expect in this thing because this government has totally failed,” parliamentary chief whip Mzwanele Manyi told the SABC.
“If you look at employment, the unemployment is well over 32% and over 60% young people are unemployed.
“Despite the economy not growing, South Africa has again dropped social security by 20 odd billion. In other words, you have this government that does not care, that is about manufacturing misery for people. How much more misery they will be bringing to the people of South Africa?” Manyi asked.
He said South Africa should be freed from the ANC and DA, which he claimed were together in the same thing.
“They continue to mess the economy of this country,” he said.
EFF spokesperson Thembi Msane said they did not think Ramaphosa will give proper direction for the country in his SONA.
“We would not be amused if he fails to do that because he has failed in previous SONAs. We are looking forward to hear what he is going to say because society out there is waiting to find a direction from SONA. In previous SONAs, nothing has been done,” Msane said.
However, she said infrastructure development and industrialisation should feature prominently in Ramaphosa’s SONA.
“He needs to prioritise infrastructure development, which is to create jobs. There is so much youth idling without work.”
Msane also said industrialisation should be of the priorities to create jobs.
“Since 1994, there has been no industrialisation. We really need to look at industrialisation and infrastructure development,” she said.
ANC chief whip Mdumiseni Ntuli said he expected their priorities set out in their 2024 elections to find expression in the 2025 SONA.
“We are keenly expecting the president to outline the medium-term development plan, which must demonstrate the extent the government has seamlessly integrated in its programme the ANC manifesto.
“The manifest is informed by the electorate that supported the ANC to have the numbers we got and establish the Government of National Unity.
“We are really keenly waiting for president to demonstrate in his interventions today the extent to which those priorities are to find expression,” Ntuli said.
mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za