Julius Malema Labels Cyril Ramaphosa’s SONA Speech an Election Campaign, South Africans Debate
- Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema weighed in on President Cyril Ramaphosa's State of the Nation (SONA) speech
- The Commander-in-Chief of the Red Berets also noted Ramaphosa's decision to deploy the army in the Western Cape
- Social media users shared their thoughts about Malema's reaction to the speech and Ramaphosa's promises for the year ahead
Source: Getty Images
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
WESTERN CAPE - Julius Malema found one good thing about President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) speech, but was not impressed with the rest of it.
Malema, the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), described the speech as an election campaign, adding that Ramaphosa repeated previous promises he made. Ramaphosa delivered the speech at the Cape Town City Hall on 12 February 2026.
Malema happy with defence force deployment
Reflecting on the speech, Malema said that the only good thing was the planned deployment of the army. The president confirmed that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) would be deployed to the Western Cape to deal with the rampant gang violence.
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Ramaphosa said that the SANDF would assist the South African Police Service in fighting gang violence in the Western Cape and the scourge of illegal mining in other areas of the country. Malema welcomed this, saying it was the only bright spot in the speech.
“We are happy that the army is coming. We are going to restore law and order,” he said.
The EFF leader added that the rest of what Ramaphosa spoke about were promises he had previously made, but the only difference was that he said them with more energy.
Source: Getty Images
Malema accuses Ramaphosa of using speech to campaign
The Commander-in-Chief of the Red Berets bemoaned the president’s decision to form more task teams, instead of taking accountability for failed projects. He also claimed that Ramaphosa was using the SONA platform to campaign for the African National Congress ahead of the upcoming elections.
“We are here again, listening to a man who is using a government platform during an election year to launch a campaign, to campaign for his political party. That is what we are being subjected to here,” Malema said after the speech.
South Africans react to Malema’s comments
Social media users weighed in on Malema’s comments, with some criticising him and others agreeing with him.
Kgotso Dawid Mosime said:
“True. Ramaphosa is not taking SA very seriously.”
Ronny Shipalana stated:
“Typical Ramaphosa.”
Santle Mash noted:
“Which is true, but Malema, when it comes to Ramaphosa, he is much calmer than when it came to Zuma. Hence, this president is repeating the same promises over and over and no action.”
Tumelo Khialeni Wonder added:
“He has been saying the same thing ever since he took office, but nothing has ever been done. The only thing that will be implemented from his speech is the alcohol regulations and increase. He could have just sent a voice note, really.”
Tebogo Mashilo said about Malema:
“He opposes everything, so I was not surprised. I guess he also opposes himself.”
John Mathebe claimed:
“There is nothing in life that Malema will applaud as long as it's done by others because everything under the sun is about him and nothing else.”
Bongani Mbanjwa added:
“Malema is like a scratched or broken record, repetition, repetition and repetition. Slam, slam and slam. Suggestion, dololo.”
EFF had low expectations for SONA
Briefly News reported that prior to the speech, the EFF expressed low expectations for President Ramaphosa's upcoming speech.
The party's national spokesperson, Sinawo Thambo, criticised the president’s unfulfilled promises from previous speeches.
South Africans share mixed reactions on social media to the EFF's comments and the president's record on SONA.
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Source: Briefly News
