SONA not an ANC election campaign speech, says Bhengu-Motsiri
The ANC said Thursday night is both about taking stock of a nation 30 years since democracy and charting a vision for the future for the decades to come.
President Cyril Ramaphosa in Parliament on 17 July 2019. Picture: @PresidencyZA/Twitter
CAPE TOWN - President Cyril Ramaphosa will be aiming for a balancing act when he delivers his eighth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday night, showcasing the achievements of his government after 30 years of democracy but also not sugarcoating the very many challenges that still face the country.
While opposition parties are banking on this being his swansong address, the African National Congress (ANC) is confident he will be back after elections to deliver another address.
However, the ANC's national spokesperson, Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, said this is not an election campaign speech.
The ANC said Thursday night is both about taking stock of a nation 30 years since democracy, and charting a vision for the future for the decades to come.
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“The State of the Nation Address (SONA) is not about an elections campaign, it’s about tackling the stubborn challenges good and bad,” Bhengu-Motsiri said.
She said while the ANC has made major improvements to the living conditions of millions of South Africans, the road ahead is still tough.
“There are many things that have got to be tackled - we need to move faster in the fight against corruption, for example, we need more arrests, where’s the evidence.”
She said the party is expecting the president to make strategic announcements that will help stabilise state-owned entities.