Opposition parties slam Ramaphosa’s R7m SONA as ‘more of the same’
MK Party MP Mzwanele Manyi has dismissed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address, saying it was not worth the money.
Image: Chris Collingridge / Independent Newspapers
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA) has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties, with some describing it as a waste of R7 million.
Ramaphosa delivered the address at Cape Town City Hall on Thursday night.
SONA officially opens Parliament and gives the president a national platform to outline government’s priorities for the year ahead.
MK Party MP Mzwanele Manyi strongly criticised the address.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2026 SONA has drawn fierce criticism from political rivals, who say the address recycled old commitments while ordinary South Africans continue to face water shortages, power cuts and rising poverty.
Image: Supplied
“This was a waste of R7 million. He could have sat in his office and done it like he did during COVID-19. There was no point in us coming here to hear more of the same,” Manyi told SABC News.
The budget for the 2026 SONA was R7,025,000, compared with the R15.5 million budgeted for 2025.
Manyi said Ramaphosa had failed to deliver on previous commitments.
“Last year he promised economic growth of 3%. We didn’t even reach 1%. He promised jobs. Absolutely nothing happened. The unemployment rate has risen. Poverty has risen,” he said.
He described the country’s water crisis as “man-made”, blaming corruption and poor governance.
“It’s because of corruption and lack of governance. It was a complete waste of time,” he said, adding that he was not surprised former President Jacob Zuma did not attend.
EFF leader Julius Malema welcomed the deployment of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) to curb crime, but dismissed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) as a show of energy without delivery.
ALSO READ: Malema slams Ramaphosa’s SONA as ‘energy without action’
Freedom Front Plus leader Dr Corné Mulder said the speech failed to address basic service delivery challenges, arguing that the government must prioritise practical solutions to water shortages, electricity supply and municipal collapse.
He welcomed the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to assist police in tackling gang violence.
“The deployment of the army is something one should welcome. It’s necessary to get gang violence under control,” Mulder told Newzroom Afrika.
However, he said the remainder of the address repeated long-standing promises.
“With all due respect, it’s a repetition of what we’ve heard many times before. The good story the president is trying to tell is not what ordinary South Africans experience daily,” he said.
Mulder added that while Ramaphosa speaks as head of state, he is also president of the ANC, which governs most provinces and municipalities.
“There we see something completely different - failure of infrastructure and failure of service delivery. That is the daily experience of ordinary South Africans, not the story we were told tonight,” he said.
The Freedom Front Plus is part of the Government of National Unity (GNU), led by the ANC and including parties such as the Democratic Alliance, but has differed with the coalition on several matters, including aspects of foreign policy.
Meanwhile, ANC First Deputy Secretary-General Nomvula Mokonyane welcomed the address, saying it reflected the realities facing South Africans and outlined concrete interventions.
She said the speech detailed plans to strengthen the economy, stabilise local government, improve peace and security, and reinforce the South African Police Service with support from the SANDF.
Mokonyane said criminal networks had evolved in ways that weaken the state and welcomed the deployment of the military to assist police in tackling organised crime, gang violence and illegal mining, particularly in the Western Cape and Gauteng.
“We have to reinforce those that are capable so they can be a multiplier force. They must not tolerate any conspiratorial elements in mining or those feeding gangsters,” she said.
She added that the government was committed to addressing all forms of illegality, including illegal mining and undocumented foreign nationals.
“We are dealing with any form of illegality - foreigners as well as illegal mining,” she said.
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