The 2023 edition of the state of the nation address (SONA) can aptly be titled the “Speech of Hope”. Practical and drastic measures, according to President Cyril Ramaphosa, will be introduced and implemented to address the current crises ravaging the country.
More focus, of course, will be on the electricity crisis. It is against this background that it has been declared a National State of Disaster. For this purpose, a minister of electricity will be appointed. My only reservation is that the presidency will soon be overpopulated with ministers. We hope that the minister will take heed of people with technical expertise in electricity.
The president made mention of “...agility and faster execution...” of envisaged programmes. One just hopes that the Giyani Water Project will be expedited and completed. Maybe NSFAS shenanigans will also be addressed as a matter of urgency if Ramaphosa’s apparent determination is anything to go by.
He further reiterated the point of “...capable and effective state” characterised by a professional and skilled workforce. Effectiveness, as far as I am concerned, will be evident when the Public Finance Management Act of 1999 (as amended) is implemented to the latter in the areas of supply chain management. In terms of skills, the Engineering Council of South Africa should be roped in to mitigate the electricity crisis.
As far as crime is concerned, the president talked about the increase in police visibility and the funding of institutions that are fighting crime.
In reaction to the 2023 Sona, opposition leaders like John Henry Steenhuisen and Willy Madisha once again exhibited their abbreviated intelligence by seeing no value in this speech. Herman Mashaba even went to the extent of saying the current leadership is delusional. His lack of depth in politics convinces me that he would be better off in pursuing his hairdressing project.
Nonetheless, I doff my hat to the secretary-general of the SACP, Solly Mapaila, who seems to be the one “"seeing” concrete plans emerging from Sona, provided there is a quicker implementation of programmes.
Paul Thabo Makokoe, Bloemfontein
READER LETTER | Cyril’s speech gives us hope, expectations
Image: GCIS
The 2023 edition of the state of the nation address (SONA) can aptly be titled the “Speech of Hope”. Practical and drastic measures, according to President Cyril Ramaphosa, will be introduced and implemented to address the current crises ravaging the country.
More focus, of course, will be on the electricity crisis. It is against this background that it has been declared a National State of Disaster. For this purpose, a minister of electricity will be appointed. My only reservation is that the presidency will soon be overpopulated with ministers. We hope that the minister will take heed of people with technical expertise in electricity.
The president made mention of “...agility and faster execution...” of envisaged programmes. One just hopes that the Giyani Water Project will be expedited and completed. Maybe NSFAS shenanigans will also be addressed as a matter of urgency if Ramaphosa’s apparent determination is anything to go by.
He further reiterated the point of “...capable and effective state” characterised by a professional and skilled workforce. Effectiveness, as far as I am concerned, will be evident when the Public Finance Management Act of 1999 (as amended) is implemented to the latter in the areas of supply chain management. In terms of skills, the Engineering Council of South Africa should be roped in to mitigate the electricity crisis.
As far as crime is concerned, the president talked about the increase in police visibility and the funding of institutions that are fighting crime.
In reaction to the 2023 Sona, opposition leaders like John Henry Steenhuisen and Willy Madisha once again exhibited their abbreviated intelligence by seeing no value in this speech. Herman Mashaba even went to the extent of saying the current leadership is delusional. His lack of depth in politics convinces me that he would be better off in pursuing his hairdressing project.
Nonetheless, I doff my hat to the secretary-general of the SACP, Solly Mapaila, who seems to be the one “"seeing” concrete plans emerging from Sona, provided there is a quicker implementation of programmes.
Paul Thabo Makokoe, Bloemfontein
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