SONA 2024: AfriForum underscores Ramaphosa administration’s failure to fulfil 2023 SONA promises; champions alternative solutions

7 February 2024  

In the run-up to the 2024 elections, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) tomorrow, will certainly be promise-laden. This is despite the fact that not much of last year’s promises materialised. On the eve of this year’s SONA, AfriForum, therefore, reviews these promises, sheds light on the realities, and provides alternative solutions.

In 2023’s SONA, the president emphasised that the government is “focused” on addressing load shedding, unemployment, poverty and the rising cost of living, crime, corruption, and service delivery.

Electricity

Promise: The government will finally address the power crisis that has been raging since 2007.

Reality: In a previously unprecedented worsening of the power crisis, the country experienced a record 332 days of load shedding in 2023, overshadowing the 205 days recorded in 2022.

AfriForum’s solution: Privatise Eskom or deregulate the energy sector and open up the market for independent power providers with an emphasis on solar power.

Unemployment

Promise: Unemployment will be addressed in 2023.

Reality: Not even a dent has been made in South Africa’s sky-high unemployment rate, which in 2023, according to the broad definition of unemployment (that factors in those who have given up looking for employment), stood at around 42%.

AfriForum’s solution: Fix the dysfunctional education system by promoting mother language education and insert an emphasis into the curriculum that will ensure learners and students are transformed into job creators rather than mere job seekers. Additionally, do away with the government’s laundry list of racially discriminatory legislation.

Poverty and the rising cost of living

Promise: The government will fight poverty and the rising cost of living.

Reality: By late 2023, economists deemed South Africa’s rising cost of living as a worsening crisis. The consensus is that the chief factors to blame are South Africa’s fiscal crisis, a weakening rand, and poor governance.

AfriForum’s solution: The economy needs less state intervention, not more. Citizens are also overburdened by the government’s exorbitantly high tax rates.

Crime

Promise: Make communities safer.

Reality: The country’s per capita murder rate for 2022/2023 was the highest in 20 years at 45 murders per 100 000. This is almost 50% higher than the 2012/2013 rate.

AfriForum’s solution: Communities need to organise to protect themselves, within the confines of the law. Therefore, AfriForum has already established 172 neighbourhood and farm watches nationwide, which continue to expand their abilities and successes.

Corruption

Promise: The government will take a tough stance on corruption.

Reality: In 2023 South Africa scored the worst it has ever ranked in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI).

AfriForum’s solution: Until there are serious consequences for high-ranking government officials found guilty of corruption, the government’s promises regarding the fight against corruption ring hollow.

Service delivery

Promise: Improved service delivery.

Reality: The 2023 Afrobarometer found that South Africans are increasingly dissatisfied with the government’s provision of key public services.

AfriForum’s solution: Devolve power to community level. With more than 160 branches nationwide, AfriForum tackles numerous issues regarding service delivery, including refuse removal, water supply problems, clean-up projects, the repair of potholes, the painting of road signs, and many more.

According to Ernst van Zyl, Head of Public Relations at AfriForum, an increasing number of people are writing SONA off as just another opportunity for the government to make empty promises. “Many citizens have realised that the government is either incapable or unwilling to address the problems they face every day. Communities now have to rely on themselves. Therefore, they are turning to alternative solutions,” he explains.

“An alternative, community-based approach to problem solving does exist. The good news is that this approach has already advanced beyond mere theory and experimentation years ago, and already boasts a solid track record of success stories. AfriForum is one of the organisations taking the lead with these pioneering efforts to achieve decentralisation and return power to the hands of communities, where it belongs,” Van Zyl concludes.

Issued by Ernst van Zyl, Head: Public Relations, AfriForum, 7 February 2024