Ramaphosa’s address highlights deep concern for public fallout from big cuts in upcoming mini-budget

31 October 2023

President Cyril Ramaphosa's address - intended to honour the Springbok Rugby team on their victory at the Rugby World Cup - clearly highlighted the President’s deep concern for the possible public fallout from necessary steep budget cuts required in the upcoming Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) address on Wednesday afternoon.

Instead of making use of the televised address to celebrate the Springboks on their unprecedented victory, Ramaphosa used the majority of his speech to highlight how the economy is being turned around which was destroyed over decades by the ruling party in the first place.

Ramaphosa chose to highlight that budget cuts in the upcoming mini-budget will not affect frontline service delivery or poverty alleviation, clearly attempting to get ahead of the fallout and manage the South African public of the shock that lies ahead of Wednesday’s address.

ActionSA reiterates that the incredibly difficult financial situation in which the country finds itself is a product of the harmful legacy that President Ramaphosa and the ruling party will leave the country in. Ramaphosa and the ruling party should, therefore, not again seek to place the burden on the South African people who are already overburdened by the deepening cost-of-living crisis.

In line with the policies adopted at our policy conference in September, ActionSA believes our economy should urgently be stabilised by increasing competition in our electricity generation and transportation operations and reversing the breakdown in the rule of law by increasing prison sentences and deploying additional police personnel.

No economy can grow, or jobs created when lawlessness is allowed to flourish, which is why urgent additional funding should be allocated to law enforcement agencies and the Directorate of Special Operations (DSO) be re-established to prosecute corrupt politicians in the ruling party who have brought the country to its knees.

ActionSA was formed three years ago with the intention to Fix South Africa and returning it to a trajectory of prosperity. We will not allow the ruling party or President Ramaphosa to scapegoat South Africans and place further burden on our people but will work tirelessly to restore the rule of law in our communities, grow the economy and create jobs.

Issued by Herman Mashaba, ActionSA President, 31 October 2023