SONA: Without plans and entangled in the past
9 February 2024
The proclamation of false hope in the State of the Nation Address (Sona) of Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa emphasises the cruel contempt with which the ANC government deceives the people of South Africa.
Solidarity considers these obvious empty promises, and the failure to mention the endless flaws at almost every level of public service, as malicious dishonesty with the aim of misleading voters before the election.
According to Connie Mulder, head of the Solidarity Research Institute (SNI), the reality experienced by South Africans of all income groups contradicts the claims made by Pres. Ramaphosa in his State of the Nation Address.
"He must constantly compare his term of office with a period of 30 years ago, rather than five years ago. This in itself is an acknowledgment that South Africa, under his watch, has not only stagnated, but is facing an abyss.
“And then the promises: The president talks about a growing economy, while we are experiencing an economic crisis. He brags about strengthening the police service, and yet crime here is out of control. He even demands a cease-fire in Gaza, while the shots are fired non-stop on his own soil.
“Then he talks about government programmes to create jobs while unemployment is higher than 40% and youth unemployment is hovering above 60%. He boasts about progress with schools and education, while in truth they want to get rid of functional Afrikaans schools through legislation.”
According to Mulder, the president talks about his term of office in which the economy was rebuilt, recycled and renewed, while the opposite is happening right before our eyes.
“Who will still believe promises about plans made to solve power supply and logistics challenges? Our railways are in tatters, but the president announces plans to install high-speed trains between Johannesburg and Durban as soon as possible.
“Then he piously speaks about how people in remote areas actually prefer state hospitals to private hospitals, without acknowledging the healthcare crisis that exists in those regions," Mulder said.
Ramaphosa also signalled his intention to sign the National Health Insurance Bill into law by saying he was “just looking for a pen”.
Solidarity considers the promise of “free healthcare” to be another empty promise – but one with very serious consequences.
“It is clear that the government, regardless of their hopeless track record, is appropriating even more power for itself. This is taking place while South Africans actually need the federal devolution of power to communities,” Mulder said.
“What South Africans did not need was this speech without any new plans or ideas. It even lacks new adjectives. It is a shameless repetition of the same failed plans, in the hope that it will garner votes.
According to Mulder, the only hope that can be taken from the State of the Nation Address is the hope that exists that this was the last State of the Nation Address under the ANC.
"The ANC uses the State of the Nation Address to describe the country's history to us over and over again, without actually doing anything that will improve the country's future.
President Ramaphosa really says that people should not believe their own eyes, but rather the ANC’s words. In other words, they say, “We deceive you here, we deceive you there ... vote for us, for another year ...”
Issued by Connie Mulder, Head: Solidarity Research Institute, 8 February 2024
