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The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has described the State of the Nation Address (SONA) as little more than a political performance, arguing that it no longer offers an honest reflection of South Africa’s realities.
Interim parliamentary leader Des van Rooyen said the party does not expect any significant shift in tone or substance when President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers this year’s address.
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This will be Ramaphosa’s second SONA under the Government of National Unity (GNU), where he is also expected to acknowledge the contributions of ministers drawn from other political parties.
MK Party Questions Credibility of SONA Under GNU
The MK Party maintains that SONA has lost its standing as a meaningful platform for national planning and state accountability. According to Van Rooyen, the address has “ceased to function as a credible instrument of national planning, accountability or state coordination”.
He said the party anticipates that Ramaphosa will once again highlight Operation Vulindlela, the government’s reform initiative aimed at improving the performance of State-owned entities.
However, Van Rooyen was critical of the programme’s impact.
“We can tell you now. That Vulindlela was not meant for our people, because our people are still unemployed, and if there’s any changes in the unemployment figures, they are close to nothing.”
Criticism Over Austerity, Infrastructure and Job Creation
Van Rooyen argued that the government’s developmental strategy continues to rely on infrastructure inherited from the apartheid era while failing to deliver meaningful employment opportunities.
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He also took aim at fiscal policy, saying austerity measures are hindering progress.
“National Treasury is not moving an inch to do away with austerity funding. How are you going to build infrastructure if austerity is at the centre of your allocation?”
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In addition, Van Rooyen claimed that the state is not making full use of its assets to increase revenue, further limiting its ability to address pressing socio-economic challenges.
As anticipation builds ahead of the President’s address, the MK Party has made it clear that it views SONA as symbolic rather than transformative.
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