President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers his Sona at the Cape Town City Hall. Photo: GCIS
From RDP houses to free public schools, President Cyril Ramaphosa‘s State of the Nation Address (Sona) started off with the ANC government’s performance so far since taking over from the apartheid regime in 1994.
Delivering his seventh Sona on Thursday evening at the Cape Town City Hall, an emboldened Ramaphosa walked down the 30-year history of democratic South Africa.
His speech was carefully narrated and peppered with anecdotes of the late former president Nelson Mandela casting his vote in Inanda, KwaZulu-Natal in 1994.
In a crucial election season and with the absence of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MPs, he seized the slight reprieve from disruptions in the Cape Town City Hall to talk about “democracy’s children”.
These are the country’s 30-year-olds born during the dawn of democracy, he said.
He identified and named one of them as Tintswalo, a Xitsonga name meaning grace.
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Tintswalo grew up in a society that was worlds apart from the South Africa of her parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, said the President.
“The story of the first 30 years of our democracy can be best told through the life of a child called Tintswalo born at the dawn of freedom in 1994.
“She grew up in a society governed by a constitution rooted in equality, the rule of law, and affirmation of the inherent dignity of every citizen.
She and others born at the same time as her were beneficiaries of the first policies of the democratic State such as free primary education and free health care for pregnant women and children under the age of six.
The 30-year-old grew up in a house provided by the ANC government, with free basic water and electricity, he added.
“With this support, Tintswalo – democracy’s child – was able to complete high school.
“Through the assistance of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas), Tintswalo attended one of our TVET colleges and obtained a qualification.
“When Tintswalo entered the world of work, she was able to progress and thrive with the support of the state’s employment equity and black economic empowerment policies.
“With the income she earned, she was able to save, to start a family, to move into a better house, and to live a better life,” Ramaphosa said to a round of applause from ANC MPs.
READ MORE: Sona 2024: Ramaphosa says more households have access to internet than a decade ago
Ramaphosa paused to lament the many socio-economic problems plaguing millions of South Africans, including the unabated joblessness.
Many of the democratic children need jobs, access to higher education and funding to start businesses.
“Millions of young people aged 15 to 24 are currently not in employment, education or training.
“Many have a matric, a diploma or a degree but cannot find a job, or do not have the means to start a business.
“While economic growth is essential to reduce unemployment, we cannot wait to provide the work that many of democracy’s children need,” he said.
The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), said Ramaphosa, has set up several initiatives to provide opportunities for youngsters, including the National Youth Service and the Youth Employment Service.
“These programmes matter because work matters to people.
“The NYDA has played a key role in assisting young people to start their businesses,” he said.
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