Cyril sings ANC’s praises

Using his state of the nation address to kick off the ANC’s election campaign on Thursday night, President Cyril Ramaphosa dedicated much of his time to patting his government on the back for work done in the past three decades.

Instead of unveiling a plan for the year ahead, Ramaphosa used his speech to boast of what he said were “remarkable achievements” since the dawn of democracy.

His last address for this term of office cost R6.5m, and he did not announce a date for the national and provincial elections for 2024. 

“Those who are rejoicing when I say this is the last Sona think we’re not coming back but we’ll be back right here,” he said.

Ramaphosa illustrated a narrative of SA’s three decades of democracy through the story of a child named Tintswalo, born in 1994.

Under the leadership of the ANC in a democratic SA, Ramaphosa depicted how Tintswalo was born in an equal country where black South Africans were provided with comprehensive healthcare, access to free housing, basic water and electricity, along with being able to attend schools without fees.

“Tintswalo’s formative years were spent in a house provided by the state, one of millions of houses built to shelter the poor,” he said. 

“Tintswalo grew up in a household provided with basic water and electricity, in a house where her parents were likely to have lived without electricity before 1994.

“Tintswalo was enrolled in a school in which her parents did not have to pay school fees, and each school day she received a nutritious meal as part of a programme that today supports nine-million learners from poor families.”

Ramaphosa showed confidence as ANC MPs enthusiastically applauded the government’s “achievements”.

However, several opposition MPs heckled him over what they perceived as failures, such as load-shedding and sluggish economic growth.

Other MPs were disengaged and scrolling on their cellphones.

Patting himself on the back, Ramaphosa said Tintswalo was one of the 26-million citizens who benefited from a child support grant provided by the department of social development.

“Through the assistance of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, Tintswalo attended one of our Technical Vocational Education & Training (TVET) colleges and obtained a qualification.”

Ramaphosa said the number of employed South Africans had doubled between 1994 and 2024 — growing from eight-million to 16.7-million.

According to the latest Stats SA quarterly labour force survey, the country’s official unemployment rate stands at 31.9% for the third quarter of 2023.

Ramaphosa said they had established strong institutions which were eroded during the 10 years of state capture.

“Just as we cannot deny the progress South Africans have made over the last 30 years, nor should we diminish the severe challenges that we continue to face.   

“The global financial crisis of 2007 and 2008 brought to an end a decade of strong growth and faster job creation.   

“There have also been times when events at home have shaken the foundations of our constitutional democracy.

“Perhaps the greatest damage was caused during the era of state capture.   

“For a decade, individuals at the highest levels of the state conspired with private individuals to take over and repurpose state-owned companies, law enforcement agencies and other public institutions.

“In some cases, these activities were enabled by local and multinational companies.

“Billions of rand that were meant to meet the needs of ordinary South Africans were stolen.

“Confidence in our country was badly eroded. Public institutions were severely weakened.”

Ramaphosa said progress had been made in bringing those responsible for state capture to justice.

After the conclusion of the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture, more than 200 names of ANC members appeared in the final state capture report.

Those implicated in the Zondo report include the ANC’s first deputy secretary-general, Nomvula Mokonyane, national chair Gwede Mantashe and national executive committee members Zizi Kodwa, Malusi Gigaba, David Mahlobo, Faith Muthambi and Thabang Makwetla.

“Stolen funds are being recovered. 

“Freezing orders of R14bn have been granted to the National Prosecuting Authority’s asset forfeiture unit for state-capture-related cases, and about R8.6bn in corrupt proceeds have been returned to the state.   

“A restored and revitalised Sars has collected R4.8bn in unpaid taxes as a result of evidence presented at the commission, while the Special Investigating Unit has instituted civil litigation to the value of R64bn,” Ramaphosa said.

“Last year, we implemented a major debt relief package which will enable Eskom to make investments in maintenance and transmission infrastructure and ensure its sustainability going forward.”

Ramaphosa announced that in the past five years, the SA National Roads Agency (Sanral), which manages nearly 25,000km of roads, had awarded more than 1,200 projects to the value of R120bn.

“Talk to the premier of the Eastern Cape [Oscar Mabuyane], and he will tell you many of the roads are being attended to,” he said.

Without giving an amount, Ramaphosa said the government would extend the social relief distress grant that reached nine-million South Africans.

Finance minister Enoch Godongwana is expected to outline details when he delivers the budget speech on February 21.

Mabuyane was not immediately available for comment.

For the first time since assuming office in February 2018, Ramaphosa delivered his speech without interruption, due to the absence of the EFF.

The Western Cape High Court on Thursday morning dismissed an application by the party for the suspension from parliament of its leader, Julius Malema, deputy leader Floyd Shivambu and others to be set aside.

The party filed a motion challenging the decision by parliament to suspend them after they were found guilty of contempt of parliament for storming the stage while Ramaphosa was delivering his address in 2023.

EFF Eastern Cape chair Zilindile Vena said the party saw the sitting as an illegal gathering of the ANC caucus.

“When you suppress a political party and there’s no separation of powers between the judiciary and parliament in holding it accountable, then there’s no democracy.

“That gathering is an extension of the ANC caucus and all the president did was pat himself on the back.

“That was not an inspiring speech but that is all right because the citizens of SA know the true state of the nation.”

DA Eastern Cape leader Andrew Whitfield said this was the sixth address where Ramaphosa had made empty promises.

He said crime, especially in the Eastern Cape, had increased enormously.

“Crime is the president’s major failure because he’s promised to bring it down in every speech he’s delivered and that’s not the case, which is a major concern,” Whitfield said.

Whitfield said there was no economic development in this province, with roads in a bad state resulting in investments declining.

“Ramaphosa is out of touch and out of his depth because anyone who lives in the province can tell you that our roads are collapsing.

“Coastal resorts are closing because of roads and agriculture [citrus and dairy] is under severe strain due to poor road maintenance.”

Political analyst Oscar van Heerden said while Ramaphosa spent time much of his time highlighting the government’s achievements, there were still significant challenges such as youth unemployment.

Van Heerden said Ramaphosa’s government also failed to curb counterrevolutionary activities over the last 10 years including state capture and the June 2021 protests.

“However, regarding the issue of load-shedding the president mentioned very real interventions such as the debt relief package to Eskom and allowing more private sector interventions in electricity generation.”

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