SONA: Economist urges Ramaphosa to deliver action, not promises
An economist says he hopes President Cyril Ramaphosa will move beyond assurances and send a clear signal that the time for decisive action is now when he delivers the State of the Nation Address.
Johan Coetzee says South Africa needs fewer policy debates and empty promises, and more tangible results.
He adds the country needs to see progress on job creation, tackling crime, improving service delivery and driving economic growth.
" My hope is that the president will move beyond reassurances and clearly signal that the time for action is now. South Africa simply needs less policy talk and fewer promises.
"There needs to be far more visible progress on jobs, crime, service, delivery, and economic growth. The focus should be on practical solutions, particularly in infrastructure and basic services, and this must be backed by clear timelines."
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Meanwhile, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has acknowledged challenges facing the sector, including what she describes as systemic underfunding over the past decade.
She says she hopes the president will outline solutions to address some of these issues in his speech.
Gwarube has highlighted ongoing challenges in KwaZulu-Natal, which led to protests at several schools at the start of the academic year.
" You look at a province like KwaZulu-Natal in particular, they're under great financial distress. Last year, I met with the premier to say to him it's really important that the department is supported.
“They've been placed under section 18 of the PFMA. So essentially, some kind of administration so that they can be able to recover. Ultimately, there's no financial or legal instrument through which a department can be bailed out by DBE."
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