‘Leave no one behind’ Ramaphosa says while leaving millions behind

In his recent State of the Nation Address (Sona), President Cyril Ramaphosa promised to “pursue interventions that will bring peace, stability, and development” to Africa.

You have to give it to the President’s team. They really did their homework with this one and used just the right amount of buzzwords to make it sound legit.

Sona 2023: Empty promises

All the Ramapromises look good on paper but ring hollow for South Africans who do not have access to clean water, electricity, affordable healthcare, or jobs.

While millions of people are living below the poverty line and lack the most basic of necessities – which is a violation of human rights, just by the way – our president wants to talk about investing in renewable energy, green hydrogen, and electric vehicles.

“For the sake of our own stability and prosperity, we are duty-bound to pursue interventions that will bring peace, stability and development in our continent,” adds President @CyrilRamaphosa. #LeaveNoOneBehind #SONA2023

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Local leaders oppose the registration of foreign-owned spaza shops

— Presidency | South Africa (@PresidencyZA) February 9, 2023

Again, this looks good on paper and making R1.5 trillion available to boost the economy over the next five years to push innovative frontiers sounds marvelous.

‘Leave no one behind’

Ironically, though, the failure to tackle poverty in South Africa has had a profound impact on the country’s stability and future prosperity.

So, Sir, with all due respect, please explain?

Explain why government is promising to bring prosperity to all, and then go and slap a ‘Leave No One Behind’ hashtag on it, while, in fact, millions are being left behind?

And this is in a country where hospitals don’t have working generators or clean water, and where there are not enough staff to resuscitate patients during power outages.

But mind you, ministers have working generators (or are not subjected to load shedding in the first place).

Never mind leaving South Africans behind, you’ve left the whole damn country behind.

Ramaphosa’s band-aid solutions

Let’s not even get started on the audacity of those very same ministers and politicians who enrich themselves through corruption at the expense of hard-working citizens.

Mr President, maybe you are not be aware of this, but the majority of South Africans don’t have $4 million (R60 million rand) stuffed in couches to fall back on…

The government’s lack of action in addressing these inequalities is a clear indication that it is not serious about delivering on its lofty promises of prosperity.

Instead of addressing the root causes of poverty and inequality, it chooses to slap band-aid solutions which do little to improve the lives of those who can’t afford food or adequate healthcare, let alone electric cars, Sir.

ALSO READ: Face the music, Ramaphosa, energy crisis is due to ‘poor governance’ – DA

Poverty and inequality

In 2020, 55% of the population was considered poor, surviving on a monthly income of R1 190 or less. The unemployment rate was 32.5% that year.

As of December 2022, more than 18 million people live in extreme poverty, with the poverty threshold at $1.90 (approximately R33) per day, according to Statista.

The inequality gap in South Africa is also significant, with the top 10% of the population earning nearly 60% of all income, while the bottom 40% earn only 5% of all income.

Furthermore, poverty affects children and women the most. In fact, 62% of children lived under the poverty line in 2020, according to Stats SA.

South Africans deserve better

We haven’t even touched on the energy crisis yet – just another example of government’s spectacular failure to deliver on its promises (since 2008, nogal).

Until politicians (including Ramaphosa) come down from those fluffy clouds of Olympus with the harps and cherubs down to reality, and take concrete steps to address the root causes of poverty, all those Ramapromises of prosperity will remain empty.

Millions of South Africans will continue to fall further behind, no matter how many “Leave No One Behind” hashtags the Presidency wants to shove down our Twitter feeds.

South Africans deserve better, and we’re not angry enough.

Now that Sona 2023 is behind us, maybe we’ll be angrier today.

NOW READ: Sona 2023: Ramaphosa announces a national state of disaster