Faizel Patel – 11/02/2021
Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuizen says President Cyril Ramaphosa will have to show the nation that he is the man in charge of South Africa when he delivers the state of the nation address.
Ramaphosa is expected to start speaking at 7pm on Thursday and his speech will be broadcast live.
All eyes will be on the president during the first State of the Nation Address which will not be accompanied by pomp and splendour as the country battles the COVID-19 pandemic.
The dignified and quiet affair will be in remembrance of those who died from the Coronavirus.
Speaking to Radio Islam on Thursday, Steenhuisen says over the past two to three years, it has become apparent that Ramaphosa is not playing with a free hand within the African National Congress (ANC).
“The pandering to the faction in his party who are loyal to what they call radical economic transformation is very evident. We got a situation where his own secretary general and deputy secretary general have taken a completely different line to him on defending the constitution and on upholding the rule of law about coming out in defence of Mr Zuma. So, times runout for the president and this is a make or break sona for him.’
Steenhuizen says Ramaphosa needs to steer away from lofty ideals during this sona.
“This is going to have to be a back to basics brass tax sona by what immediate steps the government is going to do to secure vaccines and rollout a comprehensive vaccine programme and to break up the state monopoly on things like Eskom. The president is going to have come up with economic reforms that he is going to bring to the floor of parliament. It’s no good sitting on a piece of paper in a draw in the Union Buildings, it’s got to be actioned.”
Steenhuizen says Ramaphosa is still best man to lead the country compared to others within the ANC adding that ruling party has “run out of road and a “dead man walking.”
Listen to the interview with John Steenhuizen
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