The DA’s SONA expectations
10 February 2022
Note to Editors: Please find attached voicenote from the DA Federal Leader John Steenhuisen MP.
When President Ramaphosa delivers the State of the Nation Address this evening, at the very least, we want him to announce:
Socioeconomic
- The end of the State of Disaster. This includes an end to those existing policies which are clearly irrational and doing more harm than good (capacity restrictions, outdoor masking). Because of dire unemployment, delink the Social Relief of Distress grant from the SoD and enable it under normal legislation.
- Labour law reform to make it easier and more attractive for businesses to employ people.
- Sale or closure of all non-performing state-owned companies.
- The removal of all obstacles to competent metros and municipalities buying electricity directly from independent power producers, and to municipal self-generation.
- Review of the fuel pricing model.
- His government’s support for the End Cadre Deployment Bill to enable an independent public service commission that can ensure public appointments are based on ability to deliver services to the public.
- Decisive rejection of all job-killing policies: National Health Insurance, Mining Charter, Black Economic Empowerment, Expropriation Bill, nationalisation of the Reserve Bank, prescribed assets, localisation.
- Commitment to bringing state wages for non-front line public servants in line with private-sector counterparts, and rationalisation of a number of middle managers.
- A Basic Income Grant must be funded by increased revenues from major reforms to our economy. NOT through increased taxes like VAT or more borrowing, which will only deepen poverty.