Sona: Forgettable again

We can expect more of the same in the president's fifth State of the Nation address [View this email in your browser]( February 11, 2020 [Mail & Guardian]( [Mail & Guardian]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [YouTube]( Hi there, On February 13 2020 President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the annual State of the Nation address (Sona). The speech was his fourth since he took office after the recall of his predecessor, Jacob Zuma, by the governing party. Ramaphosa’s first Sona, in February 2018, was delayed so that, “we could properly and carefully manage issues of political transition” thrown up by the change in the ANC leadership after Zuma’s recall. In it, Ramaphosa undertook to “set the country on a new path of growth, employment and transformation”. His administration would, he said, “take tough decisions … to close our fiscal gap, stabilise our debt and restore our state-owned enterprises to health”. His 2020 speech will be remembered as the night the sitting of both houses of Parliament was suspended. But Ramaphosa’s Sona, when it was eventually delivered, struck all the right notes, [as we wrote last year](. On several occasions, he was contrite, acknowledging his government’s failures. “There are times when we have fallen short; there are times when we have made mistakes, but we remain unwavering in our determination to build a society that is free and equal and at peace,” he said. But for much of his speech, the president spoke largely of tangible actions that were being undertaken to address the harsh realities confronting the country. Ramaphosa spoke about the “social compact” that was required to achieve the aim of this year’s Sona — inclusive growth. “We can succumb to the many and difficult and protracted problems that confront us, or we can confront them, with resolve and determination and with action.” Declaring his administration’s commitment to clean governance, Ramaphosa announced that “this is the year in which we will turn the tide of corruption in our public institutions”. Ramaphosa said whereas the Zondo commission, would provide a window into the extent of state capture, the institutions of criminal justice would “deal effectively with corruption”. In an apparent response to critics of the slow pace of economic reform under his leadership and a lack of action against those involved in state capture, Ramaphosa said the desire to consult was a strength, and not a weakness. Ramaphosa said the fight against corruption and to clean up the government and its state-owned entities would continue, committing the support of his administration to the commission. However, he gave no indication that the criminal justice system would pick up its pace in bringing the perpetrators of state capture before the courts. Speaking on Wednesday, Andy Mothibi, the head of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) told parliament’s standing committee on public accounts that political pressure and people with [links to key political players]( were found to be the main drivers of personal protective equipment (PPE) plunder, adding that some of his investigators had come under threat. “As a result, we have decided to take protective measures so that our members can continue doing their work without fear or favour,” Mothibi said. The SIU investigation report came after a public outcry over influential public servants and their immediate family members benefiting from PPE procurement. One prominent member of Ramaphosa’s administration who would know about that is his suspended spokesperson, [Khusela Diko](. Mothibi revealed that, of the R30.7-billion that the treasury said was spent on PPE by state institutions between April and November last year, [R13.3-billion was under investigation](. Mothibi said this followed Ramaphosa declaring a national state of disaster in March last year to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to emergency procurement that the SIU found grossly flouted basic supply-chain management laws and standards. The allegations reported to the SIU involved, among other matters, the irregular procurement of PPE, hospital and quarantine sites, catering services, disinfecting equipment and motorised chairs. The alleged corrupt contracts included the contentious “ambulance scooters” from the Eastern Cape, as well as the R139-million Gauteng health department contract that was awarded to Ledla Structural Development, which, the SIU alleges, was a “proxy” for Royal Bhaca — the company owned by Thandisizwe Diko, Khusela Diko’s husband. We are not holding our breath for anything to change with tonight’s speech. Ramaphosa’s strength is delivering words laden with promise — and promises: broad statements of intent to create jobs, end corruption and improve fiscal discipline. That is yet to materialise. We predict much of the same with his last four speeches. This speech will be replete with promises and calls for patience, support and patriotism but, sadly, nothing about checklisting progress that had been made in implementing the action plan of his first Sona. Or the ones after. Most of the promises of all four Sonas remain unfulfilled. But at least we don’t have to witness the red carpet pomp and fluff this year. Until tomorrow, Kiri Rupiah & Luke Feltham [Subscribe now]( Enjoy The Ampersand? Share it with your friends [Share]( [Share]( [Tweet]( [Tweet]( [Forward]( [Forward]( [Share]( [Share]( Copyright © 2021 Mail & Guardian Media LTD, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in to receive communications from the Mail & Guardian either at our website or by taking out a print subscription. Our mailing address is: Mail & Guardian Media LTD 25 Owl St BraamfonteinJohannesburg, Gauteng 2001 South Africa [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences or unsubscribe here.]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} [why did I get this?]( [unsubscribe from this list]( [update subscription preferences]( Mail & Guardian Media LTD · 25 Owl St · Braamfontein · Johannesburg, Gauteng 2001 · South Africa