By Johnathan Paoli
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address to the nation over the national broadcaster SABC has been met with mixed responses. Some have called it a last-minute effort to save the ANC, others have expressed outrage at the inappropriate use of state resources for blatant electioneering.
President Ramaphosa addressed the country on Sunday and called on the nation to vote. He then spent about 30 minutes outlining and reflecting on his administration’s challenges and achievements.
“We will once again assert the fundamental principle, articulated in the Freedom Charter, that no government can justly claim authority unless it is based on the will of all the people,” he said.
Ramaphosa praised the progress his government has made in rebuilding the economy, combating youth unemployment and addressing the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide.
“We have placed South Africa on a new trajectory of recovery and laid a strong foundation for future growth. We have taken significant steps to reform our economy by implementing a number of reforms that affect various sectors of the economy,” he said.
The president acknowledged the ongoing challenges facing transformation in the country but said that it remained important for South African to continue its resilience and unity, in the face of adversity.
Political parties weighed in after the address and described it as a “waste of state resources” and plain electioneering.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) elections spokesperson Sixolise Gcilishe said the unscheduled address is a blatant misuse of presidential powers and state resources, aimed at furthering the interests of the ANC rather than serving the South African public.
“It is clear that there is fear within the ANC ranks of an imminent loss, and they are resorting to desperate measure to cling to power. By exploiting his position and access to public resources, Ramaphosa is undermining the principles of fair competition and democracy,” Gcilishe said.
She said that during his address, the president shamelessly claimed numerous so-called successes of the ruling party, and boasted about their handling of Covid-19, efforts to tackle corruption and GBV and the National Health Insurance bill.
“What is undeniable is the unethical and undemocratic nature of using a public platform meant to serve all South Africans to campaign for the ANC,” the spokesperson said.
She called on South Africans to recognize the abuse of power, demanded an immediate investigation into misuse of the state broadcaster, and called for measures to ensure against repetitions of this behavior in the future.
Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Groenewald said the address, this close to the elections was a shameless misuse of government resources and reeked of political opportunism.
“The address itself was a blatant attempt at persuading the public to vote for the ANC against the backdrop of the injustices of the past. This misuse was undoubtedly an effort to ensure the ANC’s political survival,” Groenewald said.
Democratic Alliance member of parliament Dean Macpherson called into the question to appropriateness of “what was clearly a last-ditch attempt to secure reelection”.
Build One SA leader Mmusi Maimane called the address a campaign speech and said it was an abuse of power by Ramaphosa.
Section 9(2) of the Electoral Code of Conduct holds that no person may abuse a position of power, privilege or influence, to influence the conduct or outcome of an election.
However, whether this proves itself an abuse of state resources, remains unconfirmed and the Electoral Commission (IEC) has made no comment at time of publishing.
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