ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba is calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to show progress on the promises he made during the formation of Government of National Unity (GNU) in his State of the Nation Address (SONA), deliver a plan to change people’s lives, saying that the public is fed up with empty promises and lies..
All eyes are on Ramaphosa as he prepares to deliver the SONA under the GNU, following the 2024 general elections in which the ANC lost its outright majority.
Earlier on Thursday morning, IOL News reported that Ramaphosa is under mounting pressure to provide clarity and decisive action on five major crises that threaten South Africa’s stability: economic stagnation and unemployment, the energy and infrastructure crisis, water security, the uncertain future of the GNU, and rising geopolitical tensions with Rwanda and the US.
In his opening of Parliament last year in July, Ramaphosa outlined seven priorities for the seventh administration, including combatting crime, addressing youth unemployment, improving education, ending load shedding, fostering economic growth, among others.
However, there has been little change in these areas since then, says Mashaba.
As the pressure mounts on Ramaphosa to deliver the priorities of the GNU, opposition parties have expressed skepticism about his ability to enact real change.
ActionSA said SONA should be a moment of truth – where Ramaphosa accounts for the promises made, outlines progress and presents a credible plan to improve the lives of South Africans.
In his pre-SONA address on Wednesday, Mashaba slammed the event as a grand production filled with distractions, empty lies repeated year after year, such as its high-speed bullet trains or mythical projects, while South Africans continue to struggle with the highest unemployment rates in the world.
“The 2024 elections were supposed to be a turning point,” Mashaba said, referring to the ANC’s loss of its majority for the first time in 30 years.
“Now, South Africans are waiting with bated breath for the Government of National Unity to usher in the promised changes,” he said.
However, Mashaba claimed that the GNU has become an ANC-led coalition benefitting politically connected elites, while leaving ordinary people behind.
He called the ANC claims of championing Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) misleading, labelling it “Exclusive Economic Empowerment,” which has enriched the politically connected elite while excluding the majority.
Mashaba also expressed concern about the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) role in the GNU, suggesting that the party may be eager to enjoy its turn in power without addressing critical issues.
“Indications are they’re in it to enjoy their turn on the infamous gravy train, while they kid-glove their way through topics that might get them thrown off the train,” he said.
Despite seven months of governance under the GNU, Mashaba said the economy remains stagnant, crime is rampant, the justice system is collapsing, and illegal migration and illicit trade continues unchecked.
“Borders remain wide open, allowing illegal migration and illicit trade to flourish unchecked. Education is in crisis, yet the government has no compelling plan to fix our broken schools,” he added.
Mashaba blasted the ANC-led coalition for doubling down on failed policies, especially the law on Expropriation without compensation.
“We know exactly what is likely to happen – politicians can use such laws to steal for themselves, while ordinary South Africans get nothing, and no one will be held accountable for criminal wrongdoing and unethical acts.”
He urged vigilance in monitoring the GNU and emphasised that expropriation should only serve the public good, not to enrich political associates.
Mashaba also voiced concern over the deaths of 14 South African National Defense Force (SANDF) troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo at the hands of the M23 rebel groups.
He questioned the government rationale in keeping the soldiers in the country and the interests they are defending.
“Whose interests are we defending? Recent reports of a possible escalation between Rwanda and South Africa are very worrisome,” he said.
However, on Wednesday, Ramaphosa's spokesperson Vincent Magwenya dismissed accusations that Ramaphosa deployed the SANDF in the DRC to protect his business interests, insisting that those making the accusations must present evidence.
Mashaba called for a multiparty parliamentary committee to assess the military presence in the DRC and clarify its objectives, stressing that South Africans support their troops, they cannot endorse irrational government decisions that put lives at risk.
“While South Africans will always support their men and women in uniform, they cannot be expected to stand behind irrational government decisions, especially where the lives of our people are placed in danger,” Mashaba said.
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