The opposition condemns Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation address as a reform statement As the dust settled on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s last State of the Nation Address (SONA) of the sixth term, opposition groups erupted in scathing criticism, accusing the President of turning a blind eye poured down his government’s shortcomings and instead focused on its achievements over the past three decades Leading the charge was DA whip chief Siwiwe Gwarube, who said Ramaphosa’s speech was a calculated attempt to avoid addressing his party’s lackluster performance over the past five years.
Gwarube argued that by emphasizing the achievements of previous governments, Ramaphosa effectively shied away from responsibility for his own governance. “What is clear about the reluctance of the president to recalculate key identifiable allocations in the past year is that these are low,” Gwarube said, echoing sentiments shared by many opponents.
He accused Ramaphosa of being “ashamed of his record in government” and suggested his focus on historic achievements was a thinly veiled attempt to distract attention from his administration’s failings Gwarube criticized the president’s portrayal of development, describing it as “manipulative” and a “dishonest myth” that insulted the intelligence of South Africans He criticized Ramaphosa for airing the fact that he had “not fooled anyone”. , and sanctify the harsh reality faced by millions of South Africans.
He accused him of trying to Drawing attention to the plight of the country’s youth, Gwarube painted a grim picture of poverty, unemployment, crime and widespread corruption He stressed that there was little hope for meaningful change will occur under a Ramaphosa presidency, “It reveals itself to be a hollow one with promises of a “new dawn” in the face of ongoing challenges.
Gwarube’s comments highlighted a growing frustration with government rhetoric among ordinary South Africans, who he said were increasingly seeing a huge gap between government rhetoric and their lived experiences in which he faced realities is the difficulty facing the nation, to do meaningful work to address it There was time, he stressed.
As opposition voices grow louder in the wake of Ramaphosa’s speech, it remains to be seen how the president will react to the mounting criticism and whether his company will be able to deliver on its promise of a future of interest for all South Africans
