COSATU wants Ramaphosa to ‘shift the needle’ on jobs and growth at SONA

As President Cyril Ramaphosa prepares to deliver the State of the Nation Address (SONA) later, COSATU is calling for decisive action to tackle the country’s deepening economic problems.

The trade union says slow growth and rising hardship are putting unbearable pressure on workers and the unemployed.

The organisation's Parliamentary Coordinator, Matthew Parks, says he hopes the President will take the union's advice:

"We met the President in Cabinet as organised labour last week to share what we think are the urgent priorities to respond to what we think are the three fundamental challenges facing us as a country."

Those, says Parks, are slow economic growth, high unemployment, and high levels of crime, corruption, poverty, and inequality.

"He doesn't have to respond to every single thing, but it's got to outline the high-impact intervention government can focus on in the next year to shift the needle on those issues."

One of the key priorities is fixing public services, says Parks.

"Be it Home Affairs, be it the police, education, health, so forth."

So too local government needs a cleaning up and a fix-up, adds Parks.

It's about rolling about the infrastructure, he says.

He argues that government must prioritise getting state entities like Transnet and MetroRail back on track,

It's also time for decisive action against crime, Parks notes, suggesting a similar approach to that taken during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Where the President basically leads a Marshall Plan, mobilises every possible support and resource in the public and private sector.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver his tenth SONA at Cape Town City Hall on Thursday evening at 7pm.

This will mark his second address under the Government of National Unity (GNU).

To listen to Matthew Parks in conversation with CapeTalk's Africa Melane click audio below.