SONA 2020: Opposition parties react
Some opposition political parties have welcomed the President Cyril Ramaphosa's announcement that municipalities will be allowed to buy energy from Independent Power Producers (IPP).
The City of Cape Town had already approached the courts to force the government to give them that permission.
The case was scheduled to be heard in May.
Reacting to Ramaphosa's State of the Nation Address yesterday, the DA's John Steenhuisen, says they welcome the IPP news - but are disappointed about other issues.
"I think the President didn't go far enough on some instances. Reforms were not bold enough. I think he was very much mindful of the fact that he has got a straddle coalition in his own party. I think he chose to put the party interest ahead of the country interest and that's why he fudged over SAA."
READ: Key talking points from SONA 2020
FFP leader, Pieter Groenewald, also saw the IPP announcement as a highlight of the President's speech.
"On Eskom, a positive thing there is that the private power producers will be able to supply electricity and municipalities will be allowed to obtain from those PPP's some electricity, so that's positive."
The IFP says while Cyril Ramaphosa made some noble and necessary commitments during his State of the Nation Address - it believes the President over-promised.
The party's Mkhuleko Hlengwa says a lot will now ride on Finance Minister Tito Mboweni's budget speech in two weeks.
"The SONA become suspicious when you over-promise. As the adage goes 'the lady doth protest too much' the gentleman doth promise too much. So now the taste of the pudding is in the eating and about whether the implementation will actually take place of all these things."
"We have been churning out commitments upon commitments, year in year out and that is quite concerning for up, that the President has overstated his intentions."
COPE leader Mosiuoa Lekota says the state of the nation address does not reflect on the reality of ordinary South Africans.
"I wondered whether we are talking about the same country or is he is talking about one country and I am living in a different country. I want somebody who can talk about the realities we are faced with - how we can work this situation out of it. "
