ANC chief whip Majondina defends Ramaphosa’s ‘dream’

ANC chief whip Pemmy Majondina was the first to speak at the reply to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s third state of the nation address (Sona) taking place in parliament on Tuesday morning, taking the opportunity to speak in favour of Ramaphosa’s vision, which many members of the opposition dismissed as nothing more than “dreams“.

“There is no revolution without a dream, any revolution without a dream is dead,” she said.

In a mixture of Xhosa and English, Majondina also called on South Africans and the opposition to respect Ramaphosa’s office and the constitution.

“There is [a] difference between robust debate and the undermining of a person’s dignity,” she said.

Majondina also denied claims by some opposition leaders that Ramaphosa showed in his Sona that he had no plan to fix South Africa’s many problems.

“The president has outlined more than 21 concrete plans on how to take SA forward. He was specific on how to grow the economy. Unemployment remains high, particularly among the youth. Our country endures unacceptable levels of income and wealth inequality,” she said.

She said government must work in a social contract with South Africans, and hoped to “work together with all South Africans to close the gap between the poor and the rich”.

She also accused certain opposition members of immature political engagement, saying she hopes to foster a “culture of mature political engagement” instead.

“The ANC will not descend into an arena of childishness and political vulgarity, no matter how much we are provoked as you are doing,” she said.

She called on the opposition to exercise “all structures available at our disposal” if they had grievances and to work together with the governing party.

The Joint Sitting is now in session in the National Assembly. The Chief Whip of the Majority Party Cde Pemmy Majodina delivers the opening address. #SONADebate

— ANC Parliament (@ANCParliament) June 25, 2019

(Compiled by Daniel Friedman)

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