Johannesburg – Opposition parties have described President Cyril Ramaphosa’s fifth State of the Nation Address (Sona) as out of touch and out of ideas.
Ramaphosa delivered little in the way of new plans in his address, focusing rather on reporting back on progress. Some of the major political in the country said, to them, the President’s speech might as well have been delivered in 2010, or even 2019.
John Steenhuisen of the Democratic Alliance (DA) describes the speech as ‘the good, the bad and the ugly’, praising Ramaphosa for continuing the Covid-19 relief grants but coming down hard on economic reforms which were yet to reach Parliament.
“When are they going to see the light of day? He can talk about reforms; he can keep them on a piece of paper in a drawer in the Union Buildings. Until he brings them to the floor of the Parliament, he is not going to get them passed.”
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) described the speech as insanity, arguing that the president was doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results.
Mkhulekwa Hlengwa of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) agreed that there was little that was new or inspiring to Ramaphosa’s speech, though the party did welcome some of the interventions.
The ANC has defended the Sona, saying that President Ramaphosa focused on key issues and gave an account on pans set out the previous year.
