In the debate on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address, the responses from the various political parties represented in Parliament gave expression to the mixed reactions the Address received from South African society at large.
In his contribution to the debate, Mr Kenneth Mmoiemang (ANC), Chief Whip of the National Council of Provinces, began by focusing on the 70th anniversary of the Freedom Charter, which underpins the principles of South Africa’s democracy and culture of public participation. In pursuit of the principles of the Freedom Charter, he said, “Parliament has adopted a mission and vision of an activist Parliament responsive to the needs of the citizens and the betterment of the quality of their lives. The supreme test of an activist parliament is not endless policy debates, but its political will and its capacity to push back the frontiers of poverty, unemployment and inequality.”
In contrast, Mr Nhlamulo Ndhlela (MKP) was more interested in focusing on what he called the “recycled promises” contained in SONA 2025. South Africa has heard these promises before, Mr Ndhlela noted but, “the reality on the ground is telling a different story. A story of betrayal, neglect and failure.” Instead of being a platform for endless promises, SONA should be an accountability instrument “where the nation hears about the outcomes of past commitments and the concrete plans for the future”.
Mr Ndhlela’s concerns were echoed by Ms Omphile Maotwe (EFF), who also spoke about hearing the same promises from the President year in and year out, with no accountability. Meanwhile, Ms Maotwe said, “More and more people are becoming statistics of poverty, unemployment, rape and murder.” Regarding the setbacks in passing into law both the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act and the Expropriation Act, Ms Maotwe maintained, “We will meet those who are against these transformative pieces of legislation in the streets, for we will now intensify the fight against the injustices of the past and the restoration of the dignity of the black people.”
In this response to the President’s Address, the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Mr Dean Macpherson (DA), suggested that many promises have been made over the 30 years of democracy, “with little or no results”. However, he remains optimistic, as since the DA joined the Government of National Unity seven months ago, things are already starting to change, despite inheriting a department crippled by neglect, inefficiency and corruption. “We have now released 31 public properties for development at a value of R1.4 billion. This will generate R10 billion in private-sector investment and create 165 000 jobs. Further, these projects would generate R200 million in rental income for the government,” Mr Macpherson said.
Meanwhile, the Rev Kenneth Meshoe (ACDP) was preoccupied by the threats to the South African economy posed by recent events in the United States. He urged the South African government to enter into diplomatic talks with the US administration to clarify the regulations contained in South Africa’s Expropriation Act, which states that land may be expropriated by the state for zero compensation. He stated that his interest was to ensure that South Africa secures the preferential investment status, economic competitiveness and integration into the global economy offered by the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). “We can’t afford to lose AGOA at the time when our economy is struggling to grow at levels that could create much-needed jobs,” Rev Meshoe stated.
Speaking of the economy, Mr Kgosi Letlape (Action SA) suggested in the debate that South Africa’s problems are not financial but rather a lack of political will and wherewithal to do more with what the country has at its disposal. He cited examples to that effect: “In health, our problem is not finance; we spend enough of our GDP on it. What we need is to realign our expenditure on it with our priorities.” On dysfunctional municipalities, Mr Letlape called out cadre deployment and poor leadership as the culprits, pointing to Tshwane. “Look at what it has done without an extra cent,” and the metro is now responsive to the service delivery needs of its people.
Also participating in the debate, Mr Poobalan Govender, Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, urged the President to fast-track the drafting of regulations for the Public Procurement Act to ensure that youth-owned businesses receive equitable opportunity to win government contracts. “We believe that to rebuild South Africa, we need to invest in our youth,” he said. He also lamented what he termed the “deafening silence” in the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement of any mention of funding for the government’s strategic plans to combat gender-based violence, which needs to be urgently addressed.
Abel Mputing
14 February 2025
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