Sona now just a ‘talk shop’ with ‘no action’, says PAC

The Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) says from the reign of departed former president Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki, the state of the nation address (Sona) has become a platform for empty promises that are never fulfilled.

In a statement released ahead of Sona, PAC spokesperson Kenneth Mokgatlhe said the lives of the African people have not changed since the advent of electoral democracy.

“The state of the nation address has been presented by each sitting president from 1994. What we have learnt is that it is just a talk shop which does not translate into actions,” Mokgatlhe said.

Mokgatlhe stressed that President Jacob Zuma is not solely responsible for the current pandemonium in the country.

He said the problems did not begin with Zuma and will not end with him.

“Our current problems do not start and end with Zuma, he is not the cause but he is making our problems more difficult. The ruling party must own up to the failures caused by lack of political will to transform the lives of African people,” said Mokgatlhe.

He said South Africans were sick of hearing repeated rhetoric about the speedy redistribution of land.

“This is not new, the reality is that this will not happen because of the lack of political will from this government. We are a nation suffering from food insecurity, with four supermarkets controlling 97% of the food supply chain,” said Mokgatlhe.

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“Education is also key in resolving our problems, but it is also in crisis. The notion of a free education for the poor is absurd. Education must be free for everyone. The government cannot shirk its responsibility. The government cannot control what it is not funding. Education is too important to be left in private hands.”

Mokgatlhe said lack of political willingness to return the land to its rightful owners is the principal cause of problems in the country.

“We have always maintained that all our problems are as a result of the landlessness which has created an unequal society,” said Mokgatlhe.

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