READ: President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address in full

President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered his State of the Nation Address before Parliament on Thursday in Cape Town.

It was his first speech under the government of national unity (GNU), and the head of state was expected to reflect on the coalition’s plans for governing South Africa.

While Ramaphosa will have been distracted by a swirling diplomatic storm amid the US freezing funding to the country and the death of 14 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) troops in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), analysts have urged the president to focus on domestic issues.

These include tackling crime, the rising cost of living and the plague of corruption.

Water and electricity outages remain a pressing issue, as does general service delivery.

Below is President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address in full.