President Ramaphosa’s State of The Nation Address left us with many questions and concerns
The State of the Nation Address was heralded as Ramaphosa’s ‘make or break moment’. With international tensions at a high, and South Africa being in the thick of it on both a continental and global level, this was an opportunity for The President to leave behind the “cupcake” image and present himself as a strong, firm leader. In this, the President was largely successful. He noted both the rising nationalism and the ‘new normal’ of an ever-changing global trade network, while galvanising our own sense of national pride. “We will not be bullied” uttered the President, to resounding applause.
After this emphatic start, things began to simmer down, and a course of promises and commitments began. There were, however, too few reflections on the state of nation as it currently is, and even less on what will be done to address it. Here, #UniteBehind will fill in the blanks, helping our dear President instead of “sitting on the sidelines and shouting” as he bemoaned.
The State of Our SOE’s (State Owned Enterprises)
“We need a state that is capable and competent, underpinned by a professional public service”.
ESKOM
The President noted and celebrated 300+ days of no load shedding, attributing it to the Energy Action Plan (EAP) implemented by the government from 2022. However, this was not the whole truth. Even though the EAP’s rapid maintenance of many power stations did provide short term relief, loadshedding would still be with us if not for the intense work done by the private sector – particularly heavy industry – to generate their own surplus energy. Finally, nothing was said of the thousands of South Africans – from all walks of life – who took a stand, demanding that the state #FixEskom. It was in fact this ‘shouting from the sidelines’ which ultimately forced the state to act.
PRASA
“More than 80% of passenger rail corridors have been returned to service”.
The President briefly mentioned the government’s plans to restore PRASA’s signalling system (which is used to control the movement of railway traffic) in order to boost the efficiency of the rails. However, his promise of a National Rail Masterplan in 2024, which would “lay out the future” of rail in South Africa, is yet to be published. In addition to this, there is still no clarity as to how this ‘masterplan’ would correspond with the (also yet to be published) National Devolution Strategy, which would outline how and when commuter rail services would be handed down to provinces and municipalities. In our struggle to #FixOurTrains, #UniteBehind has continually advocated for the devolution of commuter rail to the lowest appropriate level of governance. We need immediate action from the President with regards to this matter as affordable, safe, and reliable trains must return to being the backbone of our transportation system. Furthermore, the situation is made even worse by the deep maladministration, corruption, and state capture that still exists within PRASA. A working commuter rail system is necessary for our people to access and exercise their constitutional rights, such as the rights to work, healthcare, education, safety and security, dignity, and a healthy environment. The National Devolution Strategy and Rail Masterplan should be one of President Ramaphosa’s highest priorities.
(Lack of) acknowledgements of Budget Cuts and its Impacts
The speech was rife with promises on improving the state of healthcare, education and employment, especially with regards to women and people living with disabilities. However, if one compares these promises with precedent, they will begin to get concerned. Our nation has experienced significant cuts to the education budget, which has created a massive strain on the public school system, resulting in the loss of 2400 teaching posts in the Western Cape alone.
Our healthcare system – which is also under immense pressure – is an immediate priority for the state according to Ramaphosa, but there was no comment on how the state would address the crumbling infrastructure, one-nurse clinics, or the swathes of unemployed doctors who protested for jobs just 3 days before his speech. Most worrying was his lack of a concrete plan to address the (increasingly uncertain) loss of PEPFAR funding.
It is this lack of acknowledgement and proactiveness in improving the realities of working South Africans that make the President’s words ring as hollow as his supposed championing of women, queers and people living with disabilities. It is the most vulnerable people who suffer when austerity runs rampant.
Reform without redress
The most operative word of the hour was ‘reform,’ mentioned an astonishing 9 times during the speech. The President aims to change the way our State Owned Enterprises operate by increasing privatisation opportunities and bolstering administrative efficiency assistance by means of Artificial Intelligence.
However, not much was said of redress. There was so much more to be said on the matter of remedying the damages that state capture has wrought on our society.
Apart from a mention of “…steady progress in the implementation of the recommendations of the State Capture Commission….” ,there was no mention of any intention to seize the assets of those implicated in corruption, nor was there a reason given as to the presence of Joe Maswanganyi at SONA, a previously suspended member of parliament who facilitated corruption and state capture at PRASA during his time as Minister of Transport. He is currently the chairperson of Parliament’s Standing Committee on Finance! In fact, so much appears as lip service when it comes to the president, when one considers the fact that many attendees of SONA2025 were implicated in high-level corruption, including the Secretary General of the ANC, Fikile Mbalula.
The wicked play by their own rules
The Ethics Committee (the body that monitors the behaviour of MPs) has recently introduced amendments to Parliament’s Code of Conduct (CoC). This new CoC no longer applies to members of parliament who have resigned. This means that any investigations or hearings into MPs implicated in corruption will be dismissed, should they leave their post. When the Ethics Committee brought the new CoC to Parliament, it failed to mention the proposed amendment that would erode Parliament’s jurisdiction. Ethics Committee meetings are held in secret, so it is impossible to know why this amendment was made unless we institute legal proceedings to uncover their meeting minutes. Dikeledi Magadzi, who was implicated in corruption at Prasa was allowed to walk away from accountability due to this new rule. This rule (ratified by all the major parties including the DA, ANC, ACDP, IFP, EFF & FF+) allowed Parliament’s Ethics Committee to dismiss the formal complaints laid by #UniteBehind against her.
#UniteBehind laid formal complaints against 6 Members of Parliament in total, but due to the unjust rules and the secret nature of these hearings, only 2 complaints resulted in disciplinary measures. How do these actions line up with the President’s words?
We’ve been talking…
“I call on all South Africans, united in our diversity, to come together in the National Dialogue to define a vision for our country.”
This line encapsulates what I believe is a fundamental crisis in our state. If the President was more in-tune with the needs of the people, then he would know that the nation has been in dialogue. The constant protests and advocacy for human rights and equality all over the country are clear cries to be heard. It is in fact the government who refuses to listen. If every one of us has a role to play in this country, then why are disciplinary hearings for MPs done in secret? We need true collaboration and public participation, instead of just another platform for politicians to self-promote.
#UniteBehind will continue to center the voices of ordinary people. We will ‘shout from the sidelines’, force ourselves into the field of play, and hold the government accountable. On 12 August 2025, we will be taking Parliament to court to challenge the amended code of conduct and the secret nature of the hearings. For anyone who cares about the true state of our nation and the integrity of our Constitution, now is the time to get involved. True political power will always lie with the people. It is time we use it.
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