Sona 2023: ‘Government must combat corruption and strengthen accountability’ – SACP

The South African Communist Party (SACP) has implored the government to combat corruption and strengthen accountability ahead of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Thursday evening.

The party said in a statement that it expects a decisive statement on the way forward to solve the problems affecting South Africa and the majority its people, as well as a progress report updating South Africans on projects since last year’s Sona.

Energy crisis

One of the core issues that SACP said it wants Ramaphosa to tackle is the energy crisis.

The party has highlighted that measures introduced during the previous Sona have not resolved the energy crisis but load shedding has instead worsened.

“Under the circumstances, considering declaring the energy crisis a national state of disaster has become necessary. The importance of wider consultation through government structures cannot be overemphasised, while ensuring decisiveness to through progressive policies and interventions to achieve the desired outcomes under the national state of disaster if declared.”

“Maintaining the current fleet of Eskom power stations to original equipment manufacturer specifications and securing the entire network of Eskom electric power generation, transmission and distribution will go a long way in reducing the high levels and frequency and eventually stopping load-shedding,” the statement read.

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Unemployment in SA

Another burning issue for the party, is the matter of unemployment in South Africa.

The SACP has asked the government to expand its Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme and also make socially useful employment and other related programmes continuous, as opposed to temporary.

“Our approach should include strengthening efforts to promote and adequately support co-operatives, as well as SMMEs, to thrive. We need an increased focus on townships or villages as a critical pillar to resolve the unemployment crisis.”

The SACP said it also expects Ramaphosa to announce the extension of the Social Relief of Distress Grant.

“We want the Social Relief of Distress Grant to be both maintained and improved to lay a firm basis to advance to a universal basic income grant. The “red tape” that prevents unemployed South Africans from accessing the grant must be removed.

Corruption

The party also stated that it expects the President to report on progress of implementing the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture pertaining to recovering stolen funds, seizing ill-gotten wealth and prosecuting and holding to account through other consequence management those who were involved. 

“The fight against corruption and crime is more than adequately resourcing law enforcement authorities, important as this is. In addition, resourcing law enforcement authorities adequately, the measures required should combine effective state capacity and mass mobilisation.”

“Included in this are interventions that will support community policing, strengthen community policing forums and street committees, protect whistle-blowers, among others. Fighting crime and corruption must include more effectively combating illicit transactions and flows, as well as tax evasion, among others.”

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