JOHANNESBURG - President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address has been met with mixed reactions and sharp criticism, with political parties calling for more concrete action.
In his address, Ramaphosa announced in the coming days, the SANDF would be deployed in the Western Cape and Gauteng to deal with gang violence and illegal mining.
He also announced R156billion in public funding for water and sanitation infrastructure alone over the next three years. In response to the water crisis, a National Water Crisis Committee, which he will chair, will also be established.
The President said funding to strengthen border security will also be prioritised, covering infrastructure, technology and people.
READ | SONA 2026 | Ramaphosa says focus on the speech, not his tie
On the deployment of the SANDF, DA spokesperson Karabo Khakhau, said the party welcomed the announcement, adding it was a step in the right direction.
“But that is not enough. Our response has always been to have an all-hands on deck approach in dealing with gang crime, which includes giving municipalities power for localised policing.”
Khakhau says the Water Committee wasn’t going to solve the crisis.
“South Africa doesn’t have a water problem. We are not a drought stricken country. The problem is municipalities are not transferring water into the taps. Other municipalities are not paying water boards, or the relationship between the two is defunct.”
Lerato Ngobeni, ActionSA Chief Whip says the President has not been a man of action.
“We are hoping whatever he has said in that speech, including the issue of dealing with illegal immigration will be a serious one,” Ngobeni said.
She criticised Ramaphosa for “pouring cold water” on the impact of illegal immigrants in the country.
“It creates a vacuum which has been occupied by those who are now being labelled vigilantes. Citizens are occupying a space that has been left by the State, and we don’t want to see that. We want a country that is functional and peaceful.”
On water outages, Ngobeni said it was unacceptable that in 2026, there were dry taps due to government failures.
“The infrastructure decay is a disaster. He speaks about the collapse and corruption as if his party was not in government all this time. We are absolutely dismayed that he speaks in the third person as if his organisation has not brought us where we are.”
MK Party’s Visvin Reddy called for Ramaphosa to resign.
“His speech was a PR exercise and a knee-jerk reaction to the current state of the country. The party that he leads is in a state of panic. They are going to the local government elections, and he has to say things that he believes will be pleasing before South Africans,” Reddy said.
“We have become all too familiar with his promises and task teams that takes us nowhere. What needs to happen, is Ramaphosa needs to resign.”