South African President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers his 2023 state-of-the-nation address (SONA) at the Cape Town City Hall in Cape Town on February 9, 2023.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has hit back at MPs who criticised him and the African National Congress (ANC), without presenting constructive suggestions that could help the country move forward.
Ramaphosa was responding to the parliamentarians who, in the past two days, had the opportunity to comment on the president’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) delivered last Thursday.
Among those who harshly criticised Ramaphosa was Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) deputy president Floyd Shivambu, who told the House Ramaphosa had put the country in reverse gear.
“Everything we’ve made progress on is going backwards. We never thought that we would have the crisis of electricity. Who ever thought we would have water shedding? We have job losses because of this man. He’s taking the country in reverse gear the same way he did when he was utilising his first car,” said Shivambu.
Shivambu also made a few suggestions on how the country could end the electricity crisis.
READ MORE: Shivambu says jumping castle must be hired for ANC MPs after ‘singing for their supper’
Another MP who lashed out at Ramaphosa was Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen, who described Ramaphosa as a failed leader who is “too weak, too indecisive and too cowardly” to make bold decisions to move South Africa forward.
The leader of the official opposition party said Ramaphosa’s predecessor, Jacob Zuma, presided over “nine wasted years” during his time in office, while Ramaphosa had presided over “five disastrous years”.
“If you thought we ‘lost some gains’ under Zuma, then under this administration, we have only gained losses,” said Steenhuisen.
In his response on Thursday, Ramaphosa criticised MPs who, “instead of being merchants of hope, have cast themselves as merchants of despair”.
“They have determined that their political fortunes are best served by depicting a country in chaos – instead of being parties that acknowledge the challenges and that are determined to work together to find solutions so that we leave no one behind,” he said.
“Rather than present a balanced assessment of the state of the nation, they have resorted to dishonest and self-serving rhetoric.
“Rather than acknowledge the grave damage caused to our country by state capture, by the effects of a devastating global pandemic or by the worst public violence in the history of our democracy, some of these Honourable Members have failed to come up with practical suggestions or solutions that can resolve the many problems our nation faces.
ALSO READ: ‘Five disastrous years’: Ramaphosa’s ‘new dawn’ turned into false dawn – Steenhuisen
“Some choose to belittle and deride what has been achieved over the last five years in the midst of extremely difficult conditions because it does not serve their political interests to recognise the progress that is plainly clear.”
Ramaphosa said while the MPs’ contributions may have served the electoral aspirations of some of the political parties, they do not serve the interests of the people of South Africa.
“The task we have, as elected representatives, is to emerge from this debate with a common determination to meet the challenges of the present and renew the promise contained in our Constitution of a better life for all,” he said.
Additional reporting by Thapelo Lekabe
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