Tonight at 19:00 all eyes will be on President Cyril Ramaphosa as he delivers the State of the Nation Address (SONA). And as he is up for re-election as head of the ANC in December, the pressure is on.
As with each year’s address, citizens expect to hear the same old topics such as job creation and reviving the economy. However, Ramaphosa is also expected to discuss the country’s pandemic response, income grants and more.
Here are five topics that are expected to be covered at the 2022 SONA:
Income Grants
It has recently been revealed that more than 46% of South Africa’s population receives a grant of some kind. And one of the main grants include the R350 Income Grant that came into being when the Covid-19 pandemic started.
It is set that March will be the last month of this grant and Rampahosa has been receiving extreme calls to extend it. Alternatively, citizens are demanding “an indefinite monthly stipend for the poor”.
This puts the president in a very difficult position as he’s at risk of extending a benefit that may be impossible to ever stop.
Pandemic Response
According to the most recent update of the Covid-19 infections, South Africa is now completely out of the fourth wave. This after being hit pretty hard by the number of Omicron infections.
And currently, South Africa has minimal pandemic-related restrictions as civil-rights groups and opposition parties are urging Ramaphosa to end the state of disaster. The country has been in this state since the first outbreak in 2022 and according to these groups, it gives the government too much power.
On the other hand, health departments officials argue that a “latitude” is needed so that, if the need arise again, action can be taken quickly to minimise the risk of more infections.
It is also expected that Rampahosa will speak about plans on making vaccines mandatory at workplaces and some public venues.
Law and Order
One of Ramaphosa’s biggest challenges as president of South Africa, is the ongoing fight against graft and corruption. And efforts are underway to try and recover from the R500 billion that is estimated to be stolen from state coffers. But thus far, only a fraction has been recovered and no high-profile official has been successfully prosecuted.
And with the state capture – a “judicial panel that spent the past three years probing” – recommending that several politicians and officials be investigated and charged, citizens are expecting results.
Energy Crisis
This is a big topic that Ramaphosa has been making promises about since 2018. The energy crisis is one of the biggest negative factors when it comes to the country’s economic status. And currently, SA is still battling with blackouts.
It is expected that during SONA, the president will outline plans to speed up the process of procuring electricity from independent producers.
Work Permits for Foreigners
Over the years, South Africa’s industrialized economy has pulled millions of “economic migrants” from the rest of the continent. And many locals see them as competitors for jobs, housing and other resources. This has become a bigger problem in the country as there have been outbreaks of xenophobic violence.
The government said last year that it would be ending the program that allowed 200 000 Zimbabweans in SA. These foreigners are allowed to live and work in the country. The program has been running for more than a decade.
Thus, it can be expected that Ramphosa will announce measures on how to preserve jobs for locals. This could then possible reduce the unemployment rate by 35%. However, the government will need to ensure that these measures don’t trigger tension with peers around Africa.
