Busiest month for ANC, govt

SONA: CYRIL COULD ANNOUNCE BASIC INCOME GRANT Vaccine roll-out, ruling party’s stepaside policy, Zuma, among many issues.

In what promises to be the busiest month so far, both the government and the ANC have their hands full this month. President Cyril Ramaphosa is due to deliver his State of the Nation Address (Sona) and the ANC to finalise its “step-aside” policy that compels leaders with corruption allegations to step aside.

Ramaphosa is expected to present a Sona dominated by the fight against Covid-19, the vaccine roll-out and how the pandemic had impacted the population and the economy.

He is facing a difficult moment – as nothing short of a concrete announcement on what the government plans to do to stem the pandemic tide, is expected.

The Sona most likely would announce that the R350 monthly grant for the unemployed would be changed into a basic income grant. Civil society bodies supported the plan as the economy continues to suffer with more job losses and price hikes induced by ongoing economic slump.

The second wave has seen massive increases in infections and deaths and an outbreak of a more deadly variant of the virus.

Ramaphosa has no choice but to come up with a new announcement on how to revive the economy and ensure the population is inoculated against Covid-19.

The ANC’s controversial step-aside policy has become an albatross around its neck. The more they speak about acting to implement the party’s resolution, they more they fail to do it.

The first to undermine the resolution was ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule when he refused to step aside. The decision reached at Nasrec was that all members who faced graft allegations must voluntarily step aside, but senior leaders are yet to do so.

Recently, the ANC announced it planned to finalise the step -aside issue at its national executive committee meeting on 13 and 14 February. The meeting would formulate guidelines on how it should be implemented.

Another interesting event likely this month is whether former president Jacob Zuma would be charged and arrested for failing to appear before the Zondo Commission. –