COSATU State of the Nation Expectations Statement
6 February 2023
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has high expectations for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation on Thursday 9 February. Workers and society at large are battling to cope with a 43% unemployment rate, rising levels of debt and an economy struggling to emerge from a deep recession.
These are made worse by ten(10 )hours of load shedding a day, a deteriorating passenger and freight rail network under siege from criminal syndicates, rampant levels of crime and corruption, and dysfunctional municipalities unable to provide basic services. To restore hope, the SONA needs to present a clear program and set clear implementation benchmarks and timeframes.
The government also needs to account for the implementation of the 2022 SONA commitments as part of building society’s confidence.
The economy cannot grow, and unemployment cannot be reduced with continuous loadshedding. The Lekgotla recommendation for the declaration of a state of disaster needs to be officially implemented.