Johannesburg – All eyes will be on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s state of the nation address tonight at 7pm, amid the country’s floundering vaccine rollout strategy and the economic hardships visited on families and business by the global pandemic.
ANC alliance partners Cosatu and the SACP have called on Ramaphosa to reintroduce the unemployment grant, relief for businesses and consumers, and to provide a detailed plan for the rollout of the vaccines when he delivers the state of the nation address on Thursday.
The trade union federation also warned that the president should reaffirm the government’s commitment to collective bargaining by honouring wage increase agreements, saying failure to do so could lead to labour instability.
“Whilst the public service wage bill is not a matter dealt with through SONA, COSATU and workers expect an unequivocal statement and commitment in SONA that the government will abide by the Constitution and Labour Relations Act and respect workers’ rights to collective bargaining. The conduct of the government on the wage bill over the past year is a recipe for labour market strife and instability,” Cosatu spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said.
Also read: No red carpet at SONA 2021
This comes after a major fallout between government and public sector unions over the 2018 wage agreement that could have seen salary increases of 4,4% and 5% percent from April last year.
Last month, the Labour Appeal Court in Johannesburg ruled that the wage agreement was unlawful and contradicted the Constitution as it had become unaffordable to implement since public finances were battered by Covid-19.
The unions have since threatened to petition the Constitutional Court.
Pamla said the government needed to provide a detailed vaccine roll out plan that would achieve 70% immunity levels before the end of 2021.
“We simply cannot afford to sustain an economy under lockdown through 2022,” he said.
The SACP expected Ramaphosa to announce measures leading to South Africa overcoming Covid-19, sky-high unemployment, mass poverty, income and wealth inequalities.
SACP spokesperson Alex Mashilo said the party wanted to see decisive support for industrialisation, agro-processing, minerals beneficiation, rural development, and a sufficient broadband spectrum set aside.
Have you read: SONA 2021 to reflect on the new normal
“We would also be happy with an announcement of the continuation of the COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant as a step toward the comprehensive social security system that the May 2019 ANC election manifesto commits to deliver,” he said.
UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said wow is he planning to recover the monies of the state stolen through the Free State asbestos scandal, VBS and PPE looting, among others.
“And when are the prosecutions going to take place?
Yesterday, Parliament’s presiding officers- National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise and chairperson of the National Council of Provinces Amos Masondo – announced a significantly scaled down Sona, without the usual red carpet and pomp.
A total of 30 MPs representing the two Houses of Parliament from various parliamentary political parties will be physically in the National Assembly Chamber.
They are from:
the ANC (14)
DA (5)
IFP (1)
FF+ (1)
ACDP (1)
GOOD (1)
Cope (1)
NFP (1)
ATM (1)
AIC (1)
and Aljamah-ah (1).
Ramaphosa will in the national assembly chamber when he delivers the address, along with his deputy, David Mabuza. Deputy ChiefJustice Raymond Zondo and Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeal, Justice
Dumisani Zondi will represent the judiciary in the chamber.
“Various categories of guests, including members of the public, who cannot be accommodated in the Chamber or precinct will link up through a webinar that has a capacity for 1 000 guests. The platform will be non-interactive, with no chat capabilities.
You may also be interested in: Parliament confident SONA will run smoothly
Invited guests include former presidents and deputy presidents of South Africa, former presiding officers of the Parliament of South Africa, the diplomatic corps, the “Former President Mr Thabo Mbeki, former Deputy President Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former National Assembly Speaker Ms Baleka Mbete and former National Council of Provinces (NCOP) Chairperson Mr Mninwa Mahlangu have all registered for the webinar,” a statement from parliament reads.
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa. To Subscribe to Sunday World, click here.
