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SONA 2023

Four key takeaways from Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address

President Ramaphosa’s 21-page State of the Nation Address looked at how to improve the living conditions of South Africans. At least four of the announced plans will play a critical role in effecting real change.
Four key takeaways from Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers the State of the Nation Address in the City Hall, Cape Town on 9 February 2023. (Photo: Shelley Christians)
Queenin Masuabi
By Queenin Masuabi
10 Feb 2023
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President Cyril Ramaphosa’s speech centred on finding solutions for four key issues facing South Africans – the load shedding crisis, reducing unemployment, poverty and the rising cost of living as well as combating crime and corruption.

Read more in Daily Maverick: “Cost of living in SA reaches critical highs for rich and poor alike”

Load shedding solutions

The ongoing load shedding has taken a toll on citizens and business, and has prompted the government to look for a viable solution to the crisis in the short and long term. The President said:

  • Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma had gazetted the declaration of the State of Disaster, which began with immediate effect.
  • He would expand his Cabinet by appointing a minister of electricity in the Presidency. The role of the minister would be to take full responsibility for overseeing all aspects of the electricity crisis response, including the work of the National Energy Crisis Committee.
  • This year, he would ensure the Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill was passed to transform the energy sector and establish a competitive electricity market.

Reducing unemployment

The President spoke about the unemployment crisis and mentioned several programmes aimed at ensuring that young people were introduced to the world of work. The Covid-19 pandemic worsened a situation of deep unemployment leading to at least two million job losses. He announced:

  • The Social Employment Fund was recruiting 50,000 participants in its next phase of undertaking work for the common good.
  • The National Youth Service would create a further 36,000 opportunities through nonprofit and community-based organisations.

Read more in Daily Maverick: “We can’t just wave goodbye to Eskom – we need to fix it, and it’s possible”

Rising cost of living 

  • Social grants had to be increased to cushion the poor against rising inflation.
  • Work was underway to develop a mechanism for targeted basic income support for the most vulnerable, within fiscal constraints.
  • The National Treasury was considering the feasibility of urgent measures to mitigate the impact of load shedding on food prices.

Crime and corruption

  • The government was looking at partnering with the private sector to support the proper functioning of the 10111 crime helpline, to ensure that when people called the police, their calls were answered and their emergencies attended to.
  • Significantly more funding would be made available for the police, the National Prosecuting Authority and the Special Investigating Unit.
  • In a move that would ensure the safety of whistle-blowers, Ramaphosa said the government was working towards capacitating the Witness Protection Unit and would introduce amendments to the Protected Disclosures Act and Witness Protection Act to strengthen protections for whistle-blowers.
  • In response to the State Capture Commission and in line with the framework for the professionalisation of the public service, integrity assessments would become a mandatory requirement for recruitment to the public service and entry exams would be introduced. DM

Comments

Claude Ipser Feb 10, 2023, 08:50 AM

Don't just protect whistle blowers, reward them!

Neuren Pietersen Feb 13, 2023, 07:01 AM

They should get a percentage of all monies recovered as a result of their tip off.

Glyn Silberman Feb 10, 2023, 09:27 AM

You don't think Mantashe is going to be the electricity minister!

D'Esprit Dan Feb 10, 2023, 10:11 AM

From what I can see, nothing of note from the speech (other than consolidating power in the Presidency, although nothing has been achieved by this layer of bureaucracy, so what's the point?). Blathered on meaninglessly and aimlessly BS-ing the nation in a naked display of putrid ineptitude, whilst his sycophants kept telling him that his new clothes looked wonderful. On top of this, the EFF, in their usual display of mindless thuggery decided to show us why MPs shouldn't get paid at all - we cough up R50 million a year so those degenerates can do the same thing every year, which is nothing but puerile pantomime protest.

Sam Shu Feb 10, 2023, 11:37 AM

100%

roelf.pretorius Feb 10, 2023, 04:43 PM

Maybe that is why power is consolidated in the Presidency with a dedicated ministry of electricity - because the real root of the problem is not the officials per se, but the politicians that are at odds with each other. It is the ANC that is the problem - they have to be bypassed. And the state of disaster gives the precidency the ability to do that. I would probably have done the same if I was Ramaphosa.

Carsten Rasch Feb 10, 2023, 11:53 PM

Creating a shadow government in the Presidency is not good news. The cost of this must be astronomical, but apart from that, he is usurping the powers of the state. And a state of disaster removes Parliamentary oversight. Every move this this man makes weakens the state, which should remain neutral, regardless of which party is in government. Its a fuck up. Maybe his last, but maybe ours too…

Tess Fairweather Feb 10, 2023, 01:27 PM

Just what the country needs! More seats in Parliament Another "specialist" to further slow down fixing Eskom. More social grants More handouts No action plan, just random goals of thousands of beneficiaries, when even state pensions and post remain undelivered.

Stephen Murray Feb 10, 2023, 02:45 PM

Crime and corruption. When will the government wake up that it is not money that will solve these problems ('significantly more funding') but the will to succeed and a real minister of police (no caps. for what exists). More funding, in reality, will simply mean more corruption unless the rot from the top is eradicated (heads to roll).

Neil Parker Feb 10, 2023, 08:18 PM

If , as some have mooted, the surprise package turns out to be the appointment of De Ruyter as "Minister of Electricity", the President will have redeemed himself considerably at least in my eyes. Hopefully at least he understands electricity/energy a little better than a certain ANC MP who informed us that , by his calculations, nuclear is 46 times cheaper than IPP (46 times with pause and emphasis looking around to pick up all the accolades such erudition deserves) and coal is nine times cheaper than IPP. And by the way we did not sign up for renewables, we signed up to reduce carbon emissions. I think I'm going to submit a tender to open an IPP mine because I've discovered an IPP source that is 5 times cheaper than coal.

Derek Jones Feb 11, 2023, 11:34 AM

We have a useless president.

Wendy Dewberry Feb 12, 2023, 07:50 AM

Gleaning from what was promised at the last ten SONA, this one can be seen to achieve two things. On the one side, the true items of declaration are those that potentially take our country into an institutiinal oligarchy. The untrue items are the repetitions of false promises which one can presume is to try quieten and settle the citizenry into a lulled sense of hope. We as a nation need to wake up.

Mohammed Junaid Kader Feb 12, 2023, 01:59 PM

Do other countries also have a Minister of Electricity or are we the first to pioneer this?

Cedric Parker Feb 13, 2023, 03:49 AM

Probably the first - but this is no accolade. We must be amongst the first to have allowed our energy infrastructure to deteriorate to such an extent

Roly Boardman Feb 12, 2023, 08:01 PM

Andre de Ruyter for Minister of Electricity!?