By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Members of Parliament (MPs) are debating President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address in Parliament at Cape Town City Hall.
Ramaphosa delivered his address on Thursday, announcing a state of disaster to deal with the country’s worsening electricity crisis.
ANC chief whip Pemmy Majodina opened the debate and pre-empted that the opposition would “blow a lot of hot air” about the declaration of a state of disaster on the energy crisis.
But, she said, this would miss the point. She added that the government was responding to a call from the people of South Africa to end load shedding.
She added: “We are waiting for the Minister of Electricity to gallop on this matter.”
DA leader John Steenhuisen described Ramaphosa’s presidency as “five disastrous years.”
Steenhuisen said Ramaphosa’s predecessor, Jacob Zuma, presided over “nine wasted years” during his time in office, while Ramaphosa had presided over “five disastrous years”.
“If you thought we ‘lost some gains’ under Zuma, then under this administration, we have only gained losses,” said Steenhuisen.
With the country’s myriad socioeconomic challenges, the DA leader said Ramaphosa’s popular Thuma Mina (send me) slogan was an empty slogan.
“Yes, the new dawn was a cruel mirage. Yes, Phala Phala [scandal] showed us who he really is.
“Yes, we too wonder why he is still doing this job because it is now quite clear Ramaphosa has failed.”
“Instead of getting the state out of the way of private electricity generation, he gave sweeping powers to the same minister who abused the people of this country during Covid,” he said.
Steenhuisen added, instead of deregulating and unleashing private sector electricity generation, he centralised even more power in his super Presidency. Instead of removing the incompetent Ministers of Energy and Public Enterprises who block reform, he added yet another ministry to his bloated Cabinet.
Steenhuisen said that by expanding rather than shrinking the state’s role, Ramaphosa had “all but guaranteed that load shedding and all the other terrible crises we face will only get worse”.
Ministers Mondli Gungubele, Gwede Mantashe and Ebrahim Patel all took aim at the opposition parties criticising government, while listing measures that had been put in place to address the energy crisis.
“The declaration of the National State of Disaster will assist in speedy resolution of the energy supply challenges while minimising its impact and contribute immensely in the rebuilding process,” said Gungubele, who also claimed Ramaphosa’s SONA was “historic in many ways”.
EFF leader Julius Malema made several unsubstantiated allegations against Police Minister Bheki Cele, who responded in kind.
Several opposition speakers were also unimpressed by Ramaphosa saying South Africans were defined by hope and resilience.
The debate will continue on Tuesday afternoon and on Wednesday before Ramaphosa responds on Thursday.
Livestream Video Below:
Video Courtesy of Parliament.