Tangible steps can make this country great again

AS PART of the ANC’S January 8 statement, the party’s theme was The Year of United Action to Grow South Africa.

Delivering the speech at the time, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the ruling party’s leadership could declare with confidence that both the ANC and the country had entered an era of renewal.

He highlighted that there has been progress in restoring the integrity and credibility of the governing party, while pointing out that they had also embarked on an initiative to bring the ANC closer to the people through the Thuma Mina Campaign, and had also taken bold steps to confront corruption and state capture and restore the credibility of public institutions.

Tomorrow, the president will again address thousands of the ANC’S faithful at the Tafel Lager Park stadium in Kimberley, where he will outline the party’s achievements in the past year and what it intends to do in the year ahead.

While the leadership will pat itself for a job well done, the stark reality of those who would have left their homes to come and listen to a liberation movement they have always trusted is that at the start of this new decade, they expect changes and a better life for themselves and for wealth to be created for generations to come.

This is not only the expectation of ANC members and supporters but every South African because every decision made by the governing party affects all.

It’s no secret that since assuming office Ramaphosa, just like his predecessors, has made countless promises of tackling the tough challenges.

While some may argue he has made some progress in addressing a number of them, it has also become clear that consistency is required from a leader.

Ramaphosa, and the ANC in its entirety, have over time flip-flopped around serious issues, the main one being the Eskom saga.

A lack of transparency over load shedding and the true extent of the crisis at the utility has not inspired confidence in many.

Tomorrow, as the ANC holds its rally, Ramaphosa should not embark on yet another exercise of over-promising and under-delivering.

The reality is that our country faces many challenges and we want nothing but honest and tangible plans to make it a great nation in which our children can grow up.