Ramaphosa's final SONA likely to also be a reflection of his presidency, say analysts

CAPE TOWN - Analysts say the final State of the Nation Address (SONA) of this political term is likely to also be a reflection on Cyril Ramaphosa’s presidency.

While he’s laid much of the blame for the struggling economy and high unemployment on the COVID-19 pandemic, analysts said Ramaphosa can’t shy away from not having been a more decisive leader. 

And with the Phala Phala scandal also still hanging over his head, his efforts to root out corruption will ring hollow.

Since 1995, the recipe for the SONA has remained fairly constant. 

They’ve all contained the key ingredients of investment, jobs, crime and corruption. 

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But after three decades, political analysts are of the view that not enough has been achieved in any of these sectors. 

Director of the Centre for the Advancement of Non-racialism and Democracy, Professor Bheki Mngomezulu said Ramaphosa can’t continue to blame the so-called nine wasted years of Jacob Zuma’s presidency. 

“Whether you come up with Zuma or you come up with Ramaphosa, they are implementing the same policies. So, one cannot blame the other. Some of the things our president has been complaining about, he was part of that. So he cannot come now and say he’s 'Mr Clean'.”

Sanusha Naidu of the Institute for Global Dialogue said the SONA had become a quantitative, box-ticking exercise.

“The one thing they’ve done successfully in every SONA, particularly under the Jacob Zuma years but even under Ramaphosa, is measure against nothing. So, they will give you a lot of statistics but they are not measuring it against something."

Naidu said Ramaphosa had been too indecisive and complacent in his presidency, in particular against those responsible for wrongdoing.