Johannesburg – President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered South Africa’s State of the Nation Address on Thursday.
The SONA was held outside Parliament for the first time due to a fire that gutted the National Assembly last month.
Ramaphosa highlighted a few issues during his address including the electricity crisis, job creation and the social relief grant.
He said Eskom has established a separate transmission subsidiary.
He further said unbundling will be finalised by the end of the year.
“Eskom has established a separate transmission subsidiary, and is on track to complete its unbundling by December 2022. The utility has continued with its intensive maintenance programme, to reverse many years of neglected maintenance and underperformance of existing plants.”
Ramaphosa said Transnet will soon ne opening its terminals to private sector to address cable theft and vandalism on the freight rail network.
“Transnet has developed partnerships with the private sector to address cable theft and vandalism on the freight rail network through advanced technologies and additional security personnel.”
The president announced plans to end the national state of disaster are being finalised.
South Africa has been under lockdown for almost two years amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It is our intention to end the national state of disaster as soon as we have finalised other measures under the National Health Act and other legislation to contain the pandemic.”
Ramaphosa also announced the extension of the R350 Social Relief of Distress grant until March 2023.
