10 highlights of Cyril Ramaphosa's state of the nation address

There were a few interesting highlights from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s state of the nation address, the second one in 2019 and the first one of the sixth parliament.

Here are 10 that caught our attention:

• A  special appropriation bill is to be tabled to allocate a significant portion of the R230bn that Eskom needs to pay its debtors and keep the lights on
• The president has reaffirmed the constitutional mandate of the Reserve Bank “to protect the value of our currency in the interest of balanced and sustainable growth”
• The minister of communications has been instructed to issue policy direction to the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) to begin licensing spectrum that will significantly reduce data costs
• To return public money that has been stolen, civil claims arising of investigations of the Special Investigative Unit (SIU), estimated to be around R14.7bn, will be fast-tracked
• Implement a comprehensive plan, driven by the presidency, to create two million jobs for young people over the next 10 years
• Double international tourist arrivals to 21-million by 2030, by introducing a “world class visa regime” and focusing on tourists from China, India and the rest of Africa
• Government will accelerate efforts to identify and release public land that is suitable for smart, urban settlements and for farming.
• Establish a gender-based violence and femicide council to guide government efforts to eradicate gender-based violence
• Train foundation and intermediate phase teachers to teach reading in English and African languages, and to deploy experienced coaches to provide on-site support to teachers
• The president dreams of the first new city built in the democratic era with skyscrapers, schools, universities, hospitals and factories; to ease the pressure on the congested cities of Tshwane, Joburg, Ethekwini and Cape Town

LISTEN | President Ramaphosa has a dream