Opposition Parties Found Cyril Ramaphosa’s SONA Speech Uninspiring, Accuse Him of Campaigning

• Opposition parties, including the Inkatha Freedom Party, The African Christian Democratic Party and the Freedom Front Plus, slammed Cyril Ramaphosa's SONA speech
• Parties believed that the speech was an election campaign, did not address the issue of crime and was uninspiring
• South Africans were angered by the speech and called the speech a colossal waste, criticising the ruling party

Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist in Johannesburg, South Africa, has covered policy changes, the State Of the Nation Address, politician-related news, and Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News elections for over seven years.

Opposition parties, including the African Christian Democratic Party, the Inkatha Freedom Party and the Freedom Front Plus, had nothing positive to say about President Cyril Ramaphosa's State Of the Nation Address. They found it uninspiring, considered it a campaign for votes, and believed it inadequately tackled crime.

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Opposition parties not happy with SONA

SABC News reported that the IFP's leader, Velenkosi Hlabisa, called the speech uninspiring. He pointed out that the matric pass mark has been lowered for the past three decades, even though last year, the matric pass rate was 89.2%, the highest it's ever been in the country. He also pointed out that the number of university dropouts is too high.

The ACDP's Kenneth Meshoe said that Ramaphosa did not adequately address the scourge of crime in the country. He pointed out that South Africans feel unsafe in the country and that Ramaphosa is not doing anything about it. The FF+ leader Pieter Groenewald accused Ramaphosa of campaigning for votes in Parliament. He predicted Ramaphosa would use the SONA to campaign for the ruling party.

What you need to know about the SONA Address

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• President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered his State of the Nation Address in the absence of the Economic Freedom Fighters, who were suspended for the event
• Ramaphosa said that unemployment improved from 1994 to 2024, as the number of those employed since the dawn of democracy doubled
• Stellenbosch University's Professor Zwelinzima Ndevu remarked that his speech could have been better as he did not adequately address issues such as state capture and loadshedding

South Africans hated the speech

South Africans on Facebook detested the speech and made their feelings known.

Katlego Motlhabi said:

"I switched off the TV the moment he said there were people in a public hospital, and they refused to be taken to a private one because it was better there."

Thapelo Entlek Zakathi said:

"Wasted more than five million just to give us an ANC manifesto that promises nothing new to better the lives of South Africans."

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Josepp Memani added:

"Ramaphosa can lie with a straight face."

Geelboy Berg pointed out:

"Same story each year."

Helaine Robinson observed:

"The speech Ramaphosa delivered last night was the worst in history."

South Africans accuse Ramaphosa of lies

In a similar article, Briefly News reported that the country branded Ramaphosa a liar after he delivered his SONA speech.

Ramaphosa praised the government for milestones reached in education, infrastructure and creating employment. South Africans were displeased with his statements and branded him an outright liar.

Source: Briefly News