Johannesburg – South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, delivered his state of the nation address (SONA) on Thursday evening.
The president themed his speech with a tone of redemption and rebirth, given the current pandemic that wreaks havoc across the globe and in South Africa.
Following his speech, many figureheads from South Africa’s society took to Twitter, to share their thoughts on the president’s address.
Also read: SONA2021: Covid-19 variant will have significant implications on vaccine rollout
Take a look at what some of them had to say below:
🇿🇦| Mr President @CyrilRamaphosa, SA needs the #VaccineNow!
"The only way our economy and our society can return to a semblance or normality is through the swift and large-scale acquisition and rollout of vaccines." – @jsteenhuisen #SONA2021 pic.twitter.com/1cAi89axJl
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) February 11, 2021
The President’s praise of the resilience of the SAn people was a failed to deflect the fact that lockdowns were not used to equip our health systems, but rather to loot under the cover of emergency procurement.
We will rise in spite of them, not because of them.#SONA2021
— Herman Mashaba (@HermanMashaba) February 11, 2021
This cannot be another SONA of unattainable fantasies of bullet trains and high tech cities.
It cannot be another SONA of announcing impossible projects that sound wonderful but will never be realised.
Ramaphosa must show decisive leadership!#RamaphosaFailedSouthAfrica pic.twitter.com/SVpXAV54nk
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) February 11, 2021
The fire which destroyed South Africa is the ANC government who allowed corruption, looting and skewed priorities. #SONA21
— VRYHEIDSFRONT PLUS / FREEDOM FRONT PLUS (@VFPlus) February 11, 2021
The fact that smart cities are now such a large priority during these difficult times to apparently do away with the apartheid spatial planning model is absolutely preposterous. #SONA21
— VRYHEIDSFRONT PLUS / FREEDOM FRONT PLUS (@VFPlus) February 11, 2021
We need health facilities, basic services, water, electricity, educational support and job creation – this government cannot manage the existing cities and towns in SA. #SONA21
— VRYHEIDSFRONT PLUS / FREEDOM FRONT PLUS (@VFPlus) February 11, 2021
This is not the time for grandstanding and electioneering about smart cities while people are literally dying of Covid, of hunger, of other illnesses, living with sewerage flowing in the streets, water shortages, load-shedding, unprecedented unemployment and crippling corruption.
— VRYHEIDSFRONT PLUS / FREEDOM FRONT PLUS (@VFPlus) February 11, 2021
President Ramaphosa, not unlike the ANC itself, is exhausted, and exhausting.
I stopped watching and instead read the text of the speech because listening to all of it would induce a coma.
Y'all still awake? Careful, folks. Take breaks from staring at the screen. #SONA2021
— Eusebius McKaiser (@Eusebius) February 11, 2021
Social Relief of Distress (SRD) Grant extended for a further 3 months #SONA2021 #SocialJustice pic.twitter.com/OUvbD3bdRp
— Prof Thuli Madonsela #KindnessBuilds (@ThuliMadonsela3) February 11, 2021
Today's #SONA2021 proves to us that we can cut down parliament from 400 representatives to 50. This can save us billions!
— Christo 🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦 (@ChristoThurston) February 11, 2021
Just as fynbos needs fire every twenty years to renew itself, our country needs a similar blaze of renewal, in the form of a new government, if it wants to bloom. – @jsteenhuisen #SONA2021
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) February 11, 2021
This another SONA of unworkable plans. A SONA of “sector master plans” developed by people who’ve never started or run a business. The ANC mantra is Power to the state. The DA mantra is Power to the people! – @jsteenhuisen
SA needs reform now!#SONA2021 https://t.co/kxtKDiWOTe
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) February 11, 2021
Cyril Ramaphosa says Eskom is making excellent progress… Kanti which country are we talking about here? 😳 #SONA2021
— Cellular® (@Cellular_jnr) February 11, 2021
But honestly. The narrow definition of unemployment is misleading.
SONA 2020 = 29.1%
SONA 2021 = 30.8%During the worst economic crisis our unemployment rate increased just over 1%.
— Aldrin Sampear (@AldrinSampear) February 11, 2021
Yes, the private sector is always the primary creator of jobs, @PresidencyZA.
SMMEs are the biggest opportunity.
But these have been the hardest hit by your #Covid19inSA disaster regs, SA going into junk status before that, problematic employment regs, …#SONA2021— ACDP South Africa (@A_C_D_P) February 11, 2021
Also read: SONA2021: We must save lives, Ramaphosa says
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