Political pressure is mounting for ANC president and head of state Cyril Ramophosa to fast-track structural reforms in the economy and respond to rising food prices ahead of his State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Thursday.
Ramaphosa, who is in his sixth year as the country’s president, has already received a tongue-lashing from the independent think-tank, Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE).
In a scathing attack the organisation, which focuses on policy analysis and evidence-based solutions for the country’s socio-economic and political challenges, said it has lost hope that Ramaphosa is the right man for the job.
“President Ramaphosa presented himself as a reformer and there were many people desperate to believe this. They were ready to separate the man from the party of which he has been a leader and a member for over three decades,” said Ann Bernstein, executive director at CDE, pointing out that citizens should put it in their hands to liberate themselves.
“They believed in the possibility that the chairman of the ANC deployment committee at the height of the state capture would do things differently and abandon longstanding views and practices.”
Bernstein added that Ramaphosa’s indecisiveness and lack of urgency has plunged the country into a deeper crisis.
Among key expectations is that Ramaphosa will announce interventions on the rolling blackouts, deal with high food prices and crippling unemployment, especially among the youth.
At last year’s Sona, Ramaphosa said his government was closing the energy supply shortfall to make loadshedding a thing of the past.
“The electricity crisis is one of the greatest threats to the economic and social progress. As a result, several new energy generation projects will be coming online over the next few years. Eskom has established a separate transmission subsidiary, and is on track to complete its unbundling by December 2022,” Ramaphosa said at the time.
The plan, according to Ramaphosa, was complemented with amendments to the Electricity Regulation Act, 2006, which the cabinet approved for comment.
Meanwhile, the National Freedom Party has signalled that it will join the EFF to prevent the president from addressing the nation.
The parties believe that Ramaphosa is an illegitimate president because of his alleged role in the Phala Phala theft saga.
