ACTION SHOULD START WITH THIS CRUCIAL SONA

THE old adage “never let a good crisis go to waste” could not be more relevant in the current South African context.

Under-fire President Cyril Ramaphosa will have another opportunity to take the citizens of this country into his confidence when he delivers the State of the Nation address (Sona) this evening.

Very little if any of the commitments he made in his previous addresses have turned into practical solutions.

Before the pandemic hit our shores, he had told us of his dream of bullet trains and smart cities. A lot has changed since then.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution, expropriation of land without compensation and the National Health Insurance scheme all seem to have taken a back seat.

The ravages of the pandemic are well documented, but the looting of funds meant to help the country fight the pandemic is arguably the biggest scandal under the Ramaphosa administration.

That no official has been jailed for this is a disgrace and a major setback for a president who came into power on the card of clean governance. We are now told that the expiry date of the less-effective AstraZeneca vaccines from India was never checked until they arrived in the country.

Time is certainly not on the president’s side as South Africans are growing more anxious about the future of our country.

We hope Ramaphosa does not emulate his stint as AU chairperson, a position he barely used to tackle some of the continent’s atrocities, including his deafening silence on the human rights violations in neighbouring Zimbabwe.

To his credit though, the African Continental Free Trade Area did see the light of day under his chairpersonship.

So Mr President, you have a golden opportunity to once again right the wrongs of your government. That is what you promised South Africans when they voted you and your party into power.

Failure to do so will widen the trust deficit between the electorate and government in a year of municipal elections.

The time to turn your words into action should start with this crucial Sona.

Make it count!