Mixed reaction from political parties to President Ramaphosa’s SONA

Political parties have expressed mixed reactions to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered at Cape Town City Hall last night.

The uMkhonto weSizwe Party criticised the speech, describing it as a complete waste of time. Party Member of Parliament Mzwanele Manyi said the address repeated previous commitments without tangible results.

“He could have just sat in his office and did like he did in COVID times. There was really no point for us coming here to hear more of the same. Last year, he promised an economic growth of three percent. And did we get one percent? Promised jobs and everything and absolutely nothing happened…,” said Manyi.

“Unemployment has risen. Poverty has risen. And now corruption inspired water crises. This water crisis we experience is man-made because of corruption and lack of government and lack of maintaining proper infrastructure. That’s all we always get. And then he goes around telling us about the investment summit,” he added.

VIDEO |MKP MP Mzwanele Manyi reacts to Ramaphosa’s address:

EFF reacts to SANDF deployment to tackle gang violence, illegal mining

Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema has described the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to help the police tackle gang violence and illegal mining, as an indication that the police have failed to carry out their own duties.

Ramaphosa said the SANDF and the South African Police Service (SAPS) must rapidly develop a technical plan to address gang violence. The army will be deployed to assist police operations in the Western Cape and Gauteng.

Malema said, “I appreciated the intervention by the army in the areas where gangsterism has taken over the streets of our townships. And that is a confirmation that the South African police services have dismally failed. The president is just scared to say they’ve lost confidence in the South African police services, hence the army. The rest of the things that he’s talking about, he has been saying those things…”

“Today, the difference is that he’s saying them with energy. And this thing of task teams, task team after task team, is a person who’s failing to execute their own responsibility and they shift it to other people,” added Malema.

VIDEO |  Julius Malema reacts to SONA speech:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUd1LU1A7iQ

SONA speech was inspiring: ANC

ANC Treasurer-General Doctor Gwen Ramokgopa has described the speech as inspiring.

“I am very inspired by the President’s speech. Actually, I was saying to someone that this is a speech that will leave a legacy for the leadership of President Cyril Ramaphosa. I think over the year, he has worked hard to turn around the decay that he inherited, destabilised by the COVID-19 pandemic and the global problems, but he has stood firm to say that South Africa shall and will be better under my leadership. And yes, we appreciate that it is a gnu that he is leading.”

VIDEO | ANC TG Dr Gwen Ramokgopa reacts to Ramaphosa’s address:

PA happy with SONA

Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie says Ramaphosa has addressed all the issues that South Africans are concerned about.

“The best that President Ramaphosa has ever given. He spoke about all the issues. The President has delivered the best State of the Nation.”

McKenzie adds: “GNU partners that are complaining about the President’s speech, they are being very dishonest because the President was consulting with us. The President was very consultative. He spoke for me about what is the most was the army being unleashed for the gang problem in Cape Town. He spoke for me about the illegal foreigners. He spoke about businesses that are hiring illegal foreigners. He spoke about the District Six. For me, the President has truly…we have turned the corner as the GNU. We are not where we want to be, but we are not where we used to be. But we are turning the corner. GNU iyasebetsa.”

State of the Nation Address 2026 Wraps:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW26N3D5Owc