We will ‘progress and succeed’, despite the ‘fear in our homes, schools and streets’ – Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered a New Year’s message to the nation on Tuesday by way of a video on his official Twitter account, acknowledging South Africa’s challenges but still advancing the positive message of the “day we draw closer to our ambition of a better life for all South Africans”.

The president said this year’s elections showed that we were a “robust and vibrant democracy”.

He added that while we were closer than before to the ideal of a “new society founded on the will of the people in which all South Africans, black and white, truly belong”, progress had not benefitted everyone.

He conceded that new measures taken to enliven our economy “have not been nearly enough to stop the rise in unemployment or the deepening of poverty”.

“Many South Africans lives have changed for the better but many others are yet to feel the benefits of the economic reforms and new investments.”

Ramaphosa then turned his attention to the problem of violence in SA society and in particular, violence committed by men and directed at women and children.

2019 was a “year in which we’ve had to confront the darkest forces of our nature,” Ramaphosa said.

“As a nation, we have witnessed the brutality perpetrated by men against the women and children of our country.

“We have seen lives both young and old ended with brutal violence.

“There is fear in our homes, our schools and on our streets.

Despite this, Ramaphosa said: “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 or rights of women and children.”

According to the president, “grief and anger [have] inspired the nation into action”.

Ramaphosa referred to violence against women and children as our “national shame”.

Then, turning to more positive matters, he said “day by day we draw closer to our ambition for a better life for all South Africans”.

This will include “quality healthcare, redistributing land to all those who work it and all those who need it, free education for all students from poor and middle-class family, and to ensure all children benefit from early childhood development”.

“Every day we draw closer to 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 democracy. Restoring our law enforcement agencies and taking forward the fight against state capture and corruption.”

He said South Africans should “enter the new decade encouraged by the progress we have made under difficult conditions”.

He mentioned that South Africa would chair the African Union (AU) this coming year.

“We will seek to work with our sister countries to realise an Africa free-trade area that stretches from Cape town to Kairo, from Dakar to Mombasa,” he said.

Ramaphosa ended his New Year’s address on a hopeful note.

“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 courage to overcome them.

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

“In doing so, let us each play our part for upon the conduct of each depends the fate of all.

“By working together towards the South Africa we all want, sparing neither strength nor courage, we will progress and we will succeed. I wish you and yours a successful and a peaceful 2020.

“Happy new year to all of you,” he concluded.

(Compiled by Daniel Friedman)

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.