What Will Ramaphosa Say at South African State of Nation Address?

President Cyril Ramaphosa has a tough task ahead as he prepares to deliver his annual state of the nation address on February 9, 2023. Many South Africans are disillusioned with the current state of the country. Load shedding will more than likely be on top of the list of issues to be addressed. An energy crisis has disrupted the lives of all South Africans and has seen a slow-down or closure of businesses.

Ramaphosa is being seen as incapable of dealing with the crisis.

New leaders were also voted in at the ANC conference in December 2022 - including the election of Paul Mashatile as deputy president of the party, replacing David Mabuza who is currently the country's deputy president. There are also other vacancies in the executive of the ruling party but, according to reports, the president does not want a Cabinet reshuffle to overshadow SONA.

Ramaphosa's presidency has been mired in controversy after the scandal that broke around his Phala Phala game farm when an undeclared amount of foreign currency was stolen from his farm and went unreported for two years. This shook the country and had him teetering on the brink of resigning.

For now, a clear plan of action is needed on the electricity crisis to rescue the economy. 

Questions around the literacy levels of children have also been raised after the 2030 Reading Panel, chaired by Dr Pumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, found that 78% of children in Grade 4 cannot read for meaning, and that many will not reach Grade 12 if this continues. The panel will meet every year until 2030 to review and engage with government on progress made in this critical area of education.
Given the status and authority of its members, the panel's reports and recommendations are likely to be taken seriously by parliament, the presidency and the Department of Basic Education, Mlambo-Ngcuka said.