President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday, outlining a path for South Africa’s Government of National Unity (GNU) amid signs of economic stabilization but acknowledging the need for accelerated growth and investment.
The address comes as the country shows early indicators of recovery, including moderated inflation, improving investor confidence, and the recent removal from the Financial Action Task Force’s grey list. Government debt is also stabilising. However, Ramaphosa stressed that faster structural reforms are essential to reduce high unemployment and lower the cost of living.
In response, the Democratic Alliance (DA), a key GNU partner, articulated its policy priorities, calling for reforms it has long advocated. These include replacing Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) with a new model for inclusive empowerment, fast-tracking the concessioning of ports and rail infrastructure, professionalising the public service, and strengthening measures against corruption and cadre deployment. The DA also supported the president’s declaration of a state of disaster to combat foot-and-mouth disease, noting it would accelerate veterinary and farming support.
A significant portion of the DA’s critique focused on local government. While welcoming the president’s admission of municipal collapse, the party argued the speech lacked sufficient actionable plans. The DA advocated for holding municipal accounting officers personally liable for financial mismanagement and pointed to its own governance in DA-run municipalities as proof that functional water and electricity services are achievable within the current framework.
On energy, the DA expressed support for private investment in transmission but insisted the National Transmission Company of South Africa (NTCSA) should not hold a monopoly, calling for asset transfers. Regarding security, while supporting the temporary deployment of the SANDF, the DA emphasized that lasting safety requires enhanced investigative powers and intelligence, which it claims are hindered by current laws in DA-governed areas.
The DA framed its participation in the GNU as a deliberate effort to drive reform from within, citing achievements by its ministers in areas like agricultural trade and matric pass rates. With local government elections approaching, the party positioned the vote as a direct choice on governance capability, arguing that national stability ultimately depends on functioning municipalities that deliver basic services.
The address and subsequent reactions underscore the GNU’s dual challenge: maintaining macroeconomic stability while implementing the deep-seated reforms necessary for inclusive growth and effective local governance, a task now squarely in the hands of both the coalition and the electorate.
