Mixed reaction from GNU parties to Ramaphosa's Sona

President Cyril Ramaphosa's state of the nation address (Sona) has received a glowing review from the ANC's GNU partners, particularly DA leader John Steenhuisen. 

In a statement released just minutes after Ramaphosa delivered his hour-long speech to the nation, Steenhuisen, who has been at loggerheads with the ANC and its president, said its manifesto had been widely present in this year’s Sona. 

This is the first Sona that includes all 10 manifestos of parties in the GNU. The DA leader said its objectives from national government to municipal level were represented in the Sona speech. 

“As the leader of the DA, I am extremely proud to say that our policies were front and centre in the president's Sona. At national, provincial and local levels, DA-led initiatives were highlighted and acknowledged as key drivers of progress and reform.

“This recognition affirms the vital role that the DA has played in shaping government policy across the spectrum of governance. From national government to municipal level, our ministers and representatives have been at the forefront of the reforms necessary for economic growth, job creation and service delivery.”

Steenhuisen said he was particularly proud that the work DA ministers was highlighted in the president's speech. He said several key DA policies were incorporated into the speech, which is testament to the impact the party has had on policy development.

These included expediting private sector involvement in energy production and transmission to reduce Eskom’s monopoly and address the energy crisis; prioritising infrastructure investment through public-private partnerships; digital transformation to keep South Africa competitive; Visa reforms; agricultural reforms; and early childhood education to ensure that every child receives the best possible start in life.

Good party's Brett Herron said he was hoping for more clarity on the Basic Income Grant. 

“So it's disappointing that he didn't go there, though he did confirm that the social relief of distress grant has played a major role in poverty alleviation and will continue. But what he really needed to say was, after 20 years of studying basic income, our state is ready to implement a social safety net that includes comprehensive basic income.

He, however, added that he found this Sona to be the most detailed in terms of unpacking how the economy will be turned around and what government is doing or planning to do to address the barriers to the turnaround.

“I think a criticism around the economic growth vision is that he is shooting for 3%, economic growth, and most economists have been saying that we need at least 5% economic growth, if we're going to meaningfully reduce unemployment. So the target is too low,” he said. 

FF Plus chief whip Corne Mulder was one of the few GNU partners to call out its president as having delivered a “disappointing speech”.

“I'm really disappointed, because what we heard is nothing new. It's all the same that we've heard in the past. All the same, the same recipe, more funds, more projects. But that's not what people are experiencing on the ground. They don't see a change in their lives on a daily basis. The data doesn't convince us that that's the case, and that's quite unfortunate,” he said.

GNU partner and Scopa chair Songezo Zibi also expressed his own disappointment with Ramaphosa's speech. He said the budget speech will be delivered by finance minister Aaron Motsoaledi will be the first indicator on whether Ramaphosa's promises can be delivered.

“But for now, I think there's some critical differences with the Sona, because the process then went into a little bit of detail. He didn't just say infrastructure. He mentioned water, he mentioned very specific projects. He mentioned the rail network, not just flight but passenger rail. He mentioned specific interventions, such as the signalling equipment and press, which are things that my committee has dealt with over the last couple of months as a way of unlocking some of the physical investment in infrastructure as well.

“The president did not specifically to the right level of detail, to deal with the climate crisis, because it goes far bigger than just threatening livelihoods. It's destroying our infrastructure as we build it,” Zibi said. 

UDM's Nqabayomzi Kwankwa said Ramaphosa delivered an “ambitious wish list”.

“First, you are saying you want to have an infrastructure-led growth strategy, but you premise it with all the very same SOEs that are failing. The second issue for us is that the president seemed to be downplaying the crisis in the DRC, the situation for our soldiers there is very dire. They even have to make good with one meal per day. There are many things which are happening. Some of the bodies are decomposing.

“Second, the president spoke about one of the issues where they are going to open up new ports. I'm sure it's the intention to try to stimulate trade, especially within the African continent, and to try to deal with port efficiency around the country. For us to be able to stimulate growth, I do not see how, for example, we can be able to deal with the problems that America is showing our way if we do not look for alternatives.”

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