Johnathan Paoli
President Cyril Ramaphosa says that despite the ongoing challenges and difficulties, young people like Tintswalo have had opportunities that were never available before, while replying to criticisms during the second day of the SONA debate in Cape Town, following his address to Parliament last week.
President Ramaphosa said the nation should embrace the progress that has been made over the last three decades, however, the critical issues remained vital in addressing the challenges of the day.
“Despite everything we have achieved, many South Africans – young and old – are concerned about the state of affairs in our nation,” Ramaphosa said.
The President said that high unemployment remained an issue, with job security adding to the daily stresses experienced by South Africans everyday.
Ramaphosa said load shedding has had a devastating impact on every aspect of citizens’ lives and that the State Capture Commission revealed the scale of corruption that unfolded over the course of a decade.
He bemoaned the levels of violent crime which continues to plague communities across the country and acknowledged that many municipalities were struggling to provide the basic services that people need.
“As we reflect on the journey we have traveled, we must acknowledge the severe challenges that we still face,” Ramaphosa said.
The country must confront the lasting effects of its apartheid past, which could be seen in the stark differences between suburbs and informal settlements, however, for the last five years, the government has been working to get back onto the path towards a better life for all, he said.
Ramaphosa said there are those who greeted Tintswalo’s story with derision, and that these were people who sought to diminish, even deny, the achievements of the country’s democracy.
“They do not want a national democratic society. They want to preserve racial privilege and to reverse the fundamental social and economic transformation that is taking place in our country,” the president said.
The President said that the government would continue to build a better society for “democracy’s children” and the executive remained clear about the progress that has been made, the challenges that have been faced, and the action that was required to be taken now.
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