Ramaphosa has high hopes for the nation in 2020

Hardship, poverty and high levels of unemployment still prevail in South Africa, despite the country being 25 years in a constitutional democracy, according to President Cyril Ramaphosa.

In his new year message, Ramaphosa said jobs created by the economy were “not nearly enough”.

In May, millions cast their votes, “peacefully and enthusiastically – demonstrating for all the world to see that we are a robust and vibrant democracy”, said Ramaphosa. “We recommitted ourselves to build a new society founded on the will of the people, in which all South Africans – black and white – truly belong.

“And yet, many South Africans endure hardships.

“While our economy created jobs, these have not been nearly enough to stop the rise in unemployment or the deepening of poverty.

“For many, lives have changed for the better, but many others are yet to feel the benefits of the economic reforms and new investment,” Ramaphosa said.

He said 2019 was “a year filled with both highs and lows, in which we measured great progress, but also encountered several setbacks”.

“This has been a year in which we had to confront the darkest forces of our nature.

“As a nation, we have witnessed the brutality perpetrated by men against women and against children. We have seen lives – both young and old – ended with brutal violence.

“We have seen fear in our homes, schools and streets.

“Yet, as a nation, we have stood as one in our determination to end the crimes perpetrated by those men who have no respect for the lives, the rights or the dignity of women and children.

“An outpouring of grief and anger has incited the nation to action, to undertake an emergency response plan that will turn the tide on this national shame.”

Despite past difficulties, the country aspired to fulfil an ambition of “a better life for all South Africans”.

“Day by day, we are drawing closer to our goal of providing quality healthcare to all South Africans, redistributing land to all those who work it and all those who need it,” Ramaphosa said.

“We are making progress towards our aim to provide free higher education to all students from poor and middle-class families, also ensuring that all children benefit from early childhood development.

“Each day, we draw closer to our target of R1.2 trillion in new investment in the factories, mines, refineries and shops, that will drive our economic renewal.

“Steadily, we are rebuilding the public institutions that are so vital to our democracy, restoring our law enforcement agencies and taking forward the fight against state capture and corruption.

“And so, we enter this new year and this new decade, encouraged by the progress we have made under difficult conditions, knowing that we still have many mountains to climb and many treacherous rivers to cross.”

On South Africa this month taking over the chair of the African Union, he said: “We will seek to work with our sister countries to realise an Africa Free Trade Area that stretches from Cape Town to Cairo; and from Dakar to Mombasa.

“We know only too well the enormity of the challenges that confront us, but we are united in the knowledge that we have the means and the determination to overcome them.

“Just as the strongest steel is forged in fire, just as diamonds are forged deep inside the earth’s crust under the most extreme pressure, let us turn adversity into opportunity.”

– brians@citizen.co.za

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