Ramaphosa’s key address comes at a difficult time
THE STATE of the Nation Address by President Cyril Ramaphosa marks the opening of the new parliamentary session and is an important date in the political calendar of the country. It is normally an annual event but in a national election year there is one before the election and one after.
Today’s address will be delivered by Ramaphosa against a backdrop of economic stagnation; depressed business confidence; high unemployment; rising government debt; growing calls for land expropriation without compensation and redistribution of wealth; rising levels of social ills; and state capture and corruption exposés at the Sars, NDPP and PIC inquiries and at the Zondo Commission.
The fact that this year’s Sona will be a few months before the elections makes it more important than the one to be delivered after the polls.
South Africans will approach the sixth national elections since democracy having three different narratives of the country’s democracy. An ANC narrative focuses on highlighting its achievements in delivering access to basic development, particularly to the previously neglected masses. In contrast is a narrative of a country descending into hopelessness, instability, uncertainty, corruption, and racist politics.
The voters’ narrative is that politicians are the least trusted public officials, arrogant, incompetent, self-serving and corrupt. The Sona will provide Ramaphosa with an ideal opportunity to “tell the ANC’s good story” by communicating its narrative of the country’s 25 years of democracy, presenting his administration’s plan for the nation just a few months before the national elections and to address gaps in the ANC election manifesto.
Based on the president’s commitment since he took over in February 2018, the Sona will outline the government’s key policy objectives.
Research by the SA Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) reported that the ANC is a victim of its own successes. “The dominant narrative in the case of the protests in SA has been to attribute them to alleged failures of government. However, the protests are not simply the result of failures of government, but also of the success in delivering basic services. When 95% of households have access to water, the 5% who still need to be provided for feel they cannot wait a moment longer”, said SAIRR chief executive Frans Cronje. Ramaphosa is expected to say that despite administration bungles such as resistance to transformation, insufficient resources, corruption and other weaknesses, the ANC has delivered remarkably. He is also expected to announce the date when South Africans will go to the polls.
Last year, the EFF assured the president and the nation the Sona would be delivered within a peaceful environment. “We are giving Cyril that chance. I don’t want a situation where he says ‘No you never gave me a chance, you just started (disrupting the National Assembly) from the outset”, said EFF leader Julius Malema”.
This time, Malema has threatened to turn Parliament into a “question-and-answer session” or a circus if Ramaphosa does not give answers about the R500 000 that was reported to have been donated to his presidential campaign by state capture-implicated Bosasa.
Now that Ramaphosa has met the public protector “to set the record straight” and to address complaints that he deliberately deceived Parliament and that there was an improper relationship between him and Bosasa, Malema’s threat carries no substance. The public protector now has the responsibility of giving the answer to the matter, and not the president.
South Africans can be assured that an important message from Ramaphosa will be delivered without any hindrance. If the EFF continues with its intention of disrupting the Sona, it would simply be portrayed as an “anarchist associated with lawlessness”.
Opposition parties are advised that opposition parties’ role in a parliamentary democracy is to provide robust criticisms and constructive alternatives. They should also support the government when it works responsibly and in the country’s interests.
Ensuring the Sona proceeds without interruptions is part of their national duty. If some opposition parties continue to deny the nation its right to be informed as taxpayers and voters, come election 2019, the electorate might judge them harshly.