Ramaphosa’s Sona is his Rubicon

It is hours before President Cyril Ramaphosa presents his first State of the Nation address (Sona) of the sixth democratic parliament.

It will be broadcast live from 7pm – and is no ordinary speech to wish away.

Watched by millions, including leaders of all organs of state, independent Chapter 9 institutions, organs of civil society, and investors, Ramaphosa will be:

• taking stock of challenges faced by the nation and the progress made; and
• articulating government’s plan and programme of action in addressing political, social and economic challenges.

Having emerged from a bruising and closely contested 2019 elections, Ramaphosa’s address is not expected to be about narrow party-politicking or a cheap political rhetoric, but a sobering clarion call that – despite political and ideological differences – South Africa’s growth needs all hands on deck.

Given the magnitude of problems the nation faces, the test of a good Sona speech will be whether government has clearly prioritised the needs of South Africans, how it plans to address them and in what timeframe.

Given the high unemployment rate and stagnant economy, cutting to the chase is what is expected from Ramaphosa in undoing the wasted nine years of the Jacob Zuma administration.

Gone should be the long-winded speeches of “I did not know that our people suffer so much”, “Many of our people are without houses, water and sanitation”, “Crime is killing us” or “We have adopted zero tolerance on rape and attacks on women and children.”

Sometimes I am reminded of a Cabinet minister who, after assuming office to take responsibility for human settlements, spent time sleeping at informal settlements “to experience first-hand what my people are going through”.

For someone who grew up in a township, I expected him to be an authority on the daily struggles of those living in informal settlements.

The time is over for patronising the poor if the 2019 poll results, which has pointed to a hugely reduced ANC majority, is anything to go by.

Numbers say people can no longer be taken for granted.

If Ramaphosa – the president the country needs to take us out of the economic muddle – wants to leave a legacy as the leader SA deserved, he should get to the crux of the matter, even if his approach wins him few friends and comrades.

No president in the world has gone down in history without upsetting some interests.

Thabo Mbeki, a scholar and Sussex-educated economics master, has gone down in history for having stabilised the economy amid a biting world recession.

The combination of Mbeki and former finance minister Trevor Manuel proved to be the most successful economic team in our fledgling democracy, with SA experiencing 36 consecutive quarters of positive economic growth.

Despite many successes, Mbeki was always reminded by his critics of his faults: how his administration poorly dealt with the scourge of HIV/Aids and his quiet diplomacy towards the Robert Mugabe-led government in Zimbabwe.

As Ramaphosa delivers Sona, he should know that whichever course of action he takes, he will not be the darling of everyone.

He is no Messiah or a magician. For him to crack it, he will rely on a strong team and collaboration with organs of civil society.

Brian Sokutu.

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