Sona showdown: Ramaphosa under fire as Hlophe hails Zuma

Opposition parties on Tuesday threw salvos at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s first State of the Nation Address (Sona) under the government of national unity (GNU).

Leaders of different political parties were allowed to critique Ramaphosa’s Sona at a parliamentary sitting.

However, MK party parliamentary leader John Hlophe spent most of his time on the floor paying tribute to his leader, Jacob Zuma.

 He accused Ramaphosa of being one of the worst leaders South Africa has ever had and recounted the “successes” during Zuma’s presidency.

“The vision held by President Zuma far exceeded the narrow political obsession the establishment subjected him to.”

Hlophe described Ramaphosa’s speech as being full of empty promises.

“During his tenure as head of state, President Zuma never told lies. He never claimed easy victories but prioritised the work on the ground and delivered services to our people,” Hlophe said.

These comments led to some parliamentarians grumbling in the background.

Malema slams Ramaphosa’s Sona: ‘Like a first-timer’

Meanwhile, EFF leader Julius Malema was also unhappy with Ramaphosa’s Sona speech.

He said it lacked substance and a true sense of the reality many South Africans face.

“President Cyril Ramaphosa stood before a joint sitting of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces on Thursday addressing South Africans and the world to deliver his 8th State of the Nation Address, yet he spoke as if it were his first ever Sona,” Malema said.

ALSO READ: ‘Hold president to account’: Ramaphosa’s Sona emphasises unity but lacks policy detail

Malema said the president’s speech lacked accountability and meaningful reporting. He said Ramaphosa had also failed to address the country’s economic challenges.

“The president did not tell us what happened to the National Development Plan (NDP). He did not say whether it is still the guiding policy of South Africa, nor did he acknowledge that the country has been governed without any clear guide and practical policy,” he said.

Malema said the GNU under Ramaphosa had no clear policy to create jobs and grow the economy.

“There is no clear strategy to create jobs while more than 12 million people remain unemployed. The economy is stagnant, and these are undeniable facts,” he said.

He said the country faces multiple crises, including high food prices, transport, and petrol costs. The country also faces a gender-based violence (GBV) crisis, a water crisis, and a housing crisis, which mainly affect the poor.

Steenhuisen backs Ramaphosa, blasts Zuma

DA leader John Steenhuisen, who is now a minister within the GNU, supported the president by saying they will ensure economic growth and better service delivery for all.

He said South Africa endured nine wasted years under the Zuma administration, which he claimed had set the country back.

“Nobody took more advantage of the people of South Africa than the leader of uMkhonto weSizwe, even using their money to build his own house while they languished in poverty.

“Never mind, Mr President. It’s up to us now to pick up the baton and take this country forward. But it means we must do whatever we can to turn the economy around,” he said.

Hlabisa pushes for new municipal funding model

IFP leader Velenkosini Hlabisa told parliament that the current funding model for municipalities is unsustainable and leads to inequalities.

Hlabisa is also the minister of corporative governance and traditional affairs.

“A new funding model is necessary, one that considers each municipality’s unique needs and challenges and provides a more equitable distribution of resources.”

Hlabisa said his department is working on a white paper on a funding model for municipalities.

Groenewald rejects land expropriation

Leader of the Freedom Front (FF) Plus Pieter Groenewald addressed the thorny land issue which has been in the spotlight since the signing of the Expropriation Act.

“I want to clarify that expropriation without compensation will not solve the land issue,” he said.

He said in most instances, claimants of land restitution wanted compensation and not land. He said those who received land could not make it productive in some instances.

ALSO READ: Sona: BIG move by Ramaphosa?

Trollip warns Ramaphosa over US tensions

ActionSA parliamentarian Athol Trollip warned the president about the ramifications of poor relations with the United States (US) government.

He warned that the ANC had chosen the wrong side of geopolitics, a decision that has returned to haunt the party.

“Your ANC sins are catching up with you; you have prostituted yourself to the highest bidders who have greased your party wheels with no regard to the consequences, and the new world order sees what side you have picked,” he said.

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