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President Cyril Ramaphosa delivering SONA.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has urged the government to do more to combat violent crime in the country. The labour federation’s comments come as the country gears up for the State of the Nation Address (SONA) set to be delivered next week by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
President @CyrilRamaphosa will deliver the 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA) to a Joint Sitting of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces at Cape Town City Hall on 12 February 2026 at 19:00.#SONA2026 pic.twitter.com/qUDccgYegY
— ANC Parliament (@ANCParliament) February 7, 2026
The president will address the nation during a joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament, at the Cape Town City Hall at 19h00, on Thursday evening.
Cosatu‘s Parliamentary Coordinator Matthew Parks says decisive leadership within law enforcement and judicial bodies need to be key elements in Ramaphosa’s address.
“South Africa can no longer afford to treat criminals with kid gloves, nor to allow violent crimes to become the norm, especially in working class communities. An aggressive Marshall Plan led by President Ramaphosa must be our priority. Our law enforcement organs, in particular the South African Police Service (SAPS), National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Judiciary need strong leadership, the filling of critical vacancies and recruitment of specialised skills, removal of corrupt and criminal elements, and massive investments,” says Parks.
Parks says that to win this war, the same decisive leadership, mobilisation of resources and collective ownership by society as was done to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic, is an absolute necessity.
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