The State of the Nation Address by President Cyril Ramaphosa (CR) on Thursday June 20 will be mired by theatrics and disruptions by the EFF. It was soon after the president announced his Cabinet that the EFF branded Ramaphosa a Constitutional delinquent. A label from which I’m sure they are going to want to get their full political mileage.

Why did they brand CR such? Because, according to them he should not have appointed Pravin Gordhan as a minister in his Cabinet since the Public Protector found against Gordhan– in what can only be described as a dubious case. Her recommendations, they argue, should have been upheld by the president – even though the matter is now sub judice and awaiting a court ruling on its validity.

It all started when the Zuma administration, in its continued efforts of wanting to hollow out the state through State Capture, decided the next step must be to take effective control of the SA Revenue Services. How to do this in a manner that does not alert the general public and international investors? Well, you come up with fictitious information so damning that everyone will have to say, my god, a change in leadership is required.

And so we are told of a rogue unit within SARS that performs intelligence-gathering exercises on the general public and that this is in congruence with the mandate of SARS and is, in fact, illegal. How could the then SARS commissioner (Gordhan) and the then minister of finance (Trevor Manuel) allow such illegality? And so, by the time the matter is investigated, Manuel has moved on and the new finance minister is none other than Gordhan.

When one of the affected parties at SARS asks the minister that he please be allowed early retirement with full benefits in lieu of these allegations and investigations, the minister acquiesces. Later, the same person is hired in a consulting capacity by SARS and this does apparently not sit well with some people, including the Public Protector. Others in the public sector, she argues, could only but dream of such retirement settlements and hence it is unfair and, according to her, illegal.

Our courts will decide on the matter, but don’t hold your breath, because thus far the PP’s success rate in our courts is piss-poor to piddly, to say the least. The EFF, however, agrees with the PP and feels there is indeed a case to answer with regards to these HR matters.

Another matter to bear in mind is the fact that SARS under Gordhan ensured that the net closed in on illicit financial profits from the illegal tobacco trade in South Africa. Why is this important? Because one of the big bosses involved in such illegality sponsored the EFF for a prolonged period. This, one could also argue, is illegal, the proceeds of illegal activities to fund a political party.

What does one do in a situation like this? Well, either you clear your good name and that of your party or you simply attack those who make such outrageous accusations. Besmirch their good name and ensure that their persona and character suffer as much as yours. And maybe, just maybe, the public might believe you instead of this so-called upstanding minister. Since the EFF has lost the battle to not get him incorporated into the national executive branch of our government, the next step is to make Parliament a battleground.

In Parliament, political brinkmanship suggests that emissaries will be sent from the Presidency to the EFF high command to propose a political ceasefire and to allow the president to deliver his first State of the Nation Address as a duly elected president of the people of South Africa. This, after all, is most important for the president. But, alas, the EFF will make ridiculous demands, such as Minister Pravin must tender his resignation with immediate effect, to which the president’s men will reply in the negative. Then there is nothing further to discuss, will be the word from the EFF and that would be that. War has been declared by the EFF, and by the way, may the best man win.

Such I expect will be the short-sightedness of the EFF men and women. But who can blame them, because one must ask the question: Why do they harbour such resentment against Pravin Gordhan? What has he done to the EFF leadership or the party that pits them so much against him? Surely it cannot be of such a nature that it is insurmountable? Or can it?

And so, we will observe a point of order upon another useless point of order, to which the newly-elected speaker of the House will repeatedly state that these are not valid points of order. Then we will see disruptions by the men and women in red. Soon white-shirted men will enter the chamber; scuffling, wrestling, pushing and pulling will ensue with a healthy dose of screaming, and the chamber will eventually fall silent and we can get to the business of the day.

The president will look decidedly stately and will proceed with his message of hope. As a country, we so desperately need hope. Hope, that our economy will take off once we demonstrate consistency in our policy doctrine throughout government. Hope, that our education sector will be sorted out in a meaningful way. Hope, that women and children will feel safer in their own homes. We need so much hope.

And what we as citizens expect from this president is the requisite leadership and steadfastness to stay the course, no matter how difficult the challenges. Just as he stayed the course with the adoption and signing into law of the great Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. To paraphrase Martin Luther King: this momentous decree is a great beacon of hope to millions of Africans who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

Yes, 25 years on and our democracy is as strong as ever, with our sixth democratic general election behind us, this president can stand tall and speak of hope.

This is our hope.

And so, when the EFF comes with the theatrics of disruptions and grandstanding on Thursday let us all remember, we must allow freedom to ring. Let freedom ring! Or perhaps the EFF too will sing together with all of South Africa.

After all, hope springs eternal. DM