CAPE TOWN - uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) Member of Parliament Visvin Reddy says he sees no value in the State of the Nation Address (SONA), describing it as an unnecessary expense.
Reddy criticised the estimated R7 million allocated for the event, saying taxpayers’ money is being spent on what he called a “talk show”.
“We all come here and spend an hour to hear a story, which could have been done, frankly, over the air like during Covid-19, where the President addressed the nation."
Reddy dismissed comparisons with previous administrations, arguing that the focus should instead be on current challenges.
He pointed to ongoing water shortages, particularly in Johannesburg, saying residents without reliable access to water would see little value in the address.
He pointed to ongoing water shortages, particularly in Johannesburg, saying residents without reliable access to water would see little value in the address.
“Water is a basic need, and if people in South Africa do not have access to the basic need, it means that this President has failed the country, " Reddy said.
However, political analyst Professor Zwelethu Jolobe challenged this view.
Jolobe said there is a misconception that South Africa operates as a presidential system where the President alone has the authority to resolve service delivery failures.
“That is not the case,” he said, adding that governance is a collective effort across different spheres of government.
He argued that service delivery failures cannot be placed solely at the feet of the President or a mayor, as responsibility is shared across national, provincial and local structures.