State of the Nation address - The African Mirror

Feb

2024

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa aims for upbeat tone in annual address, but fails to impress a jaundiced electorate

THIS year’s State of the Nation Address – delivered annually in February by South Africa’s president – was bound to be stuffed with electioneering messages and slogans. The country goes to the polls any time between May and August and there was no doubt that Cyril Ramaphosa would use the occasion to burnish the governing African National Congress’s reputation. KEITH GOTTSCHALK, Political Scientist, University of the Western Cape That’s indeed what he did. The upcoming elections are the most significant since the country became a democracy in 1994. Numerous opinion polls suggest the ANC will fall below 50% of the…

Feb

2024

By NELLIE PEYTON and BHARGAV ACHARYA

South Africa’s Ramaphosa touts ANC history in State of Nation address

NEWS

SOUTH Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa used a major speech in parliament to play up his party's achievements over the last 30 years but gave little detail about his plans to address the country's current major challenges. Ramaphosa's African National Congress (ANC) party, which has governed since Nelson Mandela led it to victory in the first post-apartheid democratic election in 1994, is heading into its most competitive campaign yet. Many polls indicate it will lose its absolute parliamentary majority in a vote expected to be held between May and August, forcing it to choose a coalition party to hold onto power.…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

What a real state of the nation address would say about South Africa

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

EVERY year in February South Africa’s president delivers a state of the nation address. One theme which is never addressed is the state of the nation. STEVEN FRIEDMAN, Professor of Political Studies, University of Johannesburg The address, given this year by President Cyril Ramaphosa, marks the opening of parliament. Every year, it is treated with expectation way out of line with its importance and is followed by loud disappointment. No talk could possibly live up to the hype which envelops it and, despite the name, it is actually an outline of the government’s plans for the year. This is rarely…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

‘South Africa remains an attractive investment destination’

BUSINESS

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER DESPITE the devastation inflicted by COVID-19 on its economy, South Africa remains an attractive destination and has over R773-billion in investments to prove this. This was the strong message from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in his State of the Nation address delivered last night. Ramaphosa said the country’s third South Africa Investment Conference, held in November last year, raised R108 billion in additional investment commitments. “Together with investment confirmed from the two previous investment conferences, we have now received R773-billion in investment commitments towards our five-year target of R1.2-trillion. Firms have reported that some R183-billion of…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

I promised, and I delivered – Ramaphosa

NEWS

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER SOUTH African President Cyril Ramaphosa has used the annual state of the nation address (SONA) to provide proof that he has delivered on promises made to revive one of Africa’s biggest economies, pull people out of poverty and provide jobs. Ramaphosa, delivering the first SONA under COVID-19 conditions without pomp and ceremony, tabled a progress report to prove that the promises made last year were being fulfilled. The president did not deliver a bouquet of promises but instead said his government would be focussed on three priorities in 2021. “First, we must defeat the coronavirus pandemic. Second,…