‘Stats do not lie’: Experts slam ‘delusional’ Ramaphosa’s confidence

President Cyril Ramaphosa is being delusional if he believes South Africa made great strides over the past five years, experts said following the president’s reply to the State of the Nation Address (Sona) debate.

On Thursday, Ramaphosa replied to parliamentary critics.

Sona: Debate remarks

SA’s (supposed) progress

“We must reflect on the progress we have made. Nobody can deny the distance we have come over the past five years,” Ramapphosa said.

However, various experts and consultants from different industries disagreed and said “statistics do not lie”.

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Ramaphosa is ‘delusional’

Political analyst Xolani Dube said the president should “check how many people can afford a basic food basket in SA”, and also go back to when he himself said about two-thirds of the country were surviving on social grants.

Dube said the president cannot honestly believe SA has made progress in the last five years.

He said, “for him to tell us the country is on a positive path is definitely a sign of being delusional”.

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‘Denying culpability is dangerous’

Busa CEO Cas Coovadia said restoration of economic confidence had to translate into an investment, “and we haven’t seen that”.

Labour consultant Tony Healy said, although the ANC inherited an already high unemployment rate in 1994, it had essentially doubled since then.

“In my view to shamelessly deny any culpability is dangerous,” he said.

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