Cosatu says Ramaphosa has done some good, but expects Sona to set specific interventions to deal with unemployment

Lerato Mbhiza and Johnathan Paoli

Trade union federation Cosatu has praised President Cyril Ramaphosa as one of the most accessible presidents – open to both workers and business – but tragically “too soft” on those implicated in corruption.

Speaking to Inside Politics ahead of the president’s State of the Nation Address on Thursday, Cosatu spokesperson Matthew Parks said with unemployment at 41% and youth unemployment at 60%, it expects the president to respond during Sona, with a clear set of specific interventions and time frames to turn things around.

“What we need to see emerging from the State of the Nation Address is a sense that the government understands the challenges and has clear plans to turn them around, and a real sense of time-frames and accountability. What we can’t afford is a business-as-usual approach with mere shopping lists,” Matthews said.

Despite the challenges, the union federation praised the National