Rise Mzansi has cautiously endorsed progress made by the Government of National Unity (GNU) ahead of theState of the Nation Address (SONA), but warned that President Cyril Ramaphosa cannot afford another speech heavy on promises and light on delivery, as crime, failing municipalities, water losses, and a worsening cost-of-living crisis continue to grip the country. The SONA is scheduled to take place at Cape Town City Hall on Thursday, February 12. The party said that while it supports improvements under the GNU, including modest economic growth, South Africa’s exit from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, an S&P Global credit rating upgrade from BB- to BB, the end of rolling blackouts, and tourism numbers returning to pre-Covid levels, South Africans remain unsafe, economically strained, and underserved.
Rise Mzansi said it expects Ramaphosa to present clear, measurable plans to tackle violent crime, rescue failing local governments, fix the water crisis, stabilise Transnet, address food insecurity, and respond decisively to climate change. Rise Mzansi national spokesperson Mabine Seabe said South Africans are still living in fear despite a declared State of Disaster, with women and children highly vulnerable to gender-based violence and femicide, while public confidence in law enforcement continues to erode following revelations from the Madlanga Commission and the Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee. “The entire law enforcement community requires radical reforms,” he said, urging the President to explain how the government plans to halve the murder rate and combat organised crime. Highlighting the collapse of local governments, Seabe said most municipalities face financial crises and struggle to deliver basic services.
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