Anticipation builds for President Cyril Ramaphosa's ninth State of the Nation Address

With final preparations under way ahead of President Cyril Ramaphosa's ninth State Of The Nation Address (SONA), will it be more of the same or will the statesman have something special up his sleeve?

Advocacy groups and political parties have all expressed what they hope Ramaphosa will highlight in his speech, but all ears will be focused on Ramaphosa's attempts to heal the cracks within the Government of National Unity (GNU).

Following the African National Congress's dismal showing at the May 2024 elections, the party entered into a GNU with several other political parties including the Democratic Party (DA), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), the GOOD Party and the Patriotic Alliance (PA).

The recent signing of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Bill and the Land Expropriation Act brought the GNU honeymoon to a screeching halt, exposing cracks within the "union".

The country will also expect Ramaphosa's take and what he plans to do about the current crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the back-and-forth with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, US President Donald Trump's allegations of "confiscating land" and "treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY", as well as the rising costs of living.

And what about Tintswalo?

Painting a picture of a child born in 1994, the President told a story of Tintswalo who grew up in a society that was worlds apart from the South Africa of her parents, grandparents and great-grandparents.

Struggling South Africans have labelled Ramaphosa's story as a lie. So tonight, will he tell us more about what Tintswalo has achieved this past year, it remains to be seen. 

seanne.rall@iol.co.za

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