Cabinet Ministers speaking to SAnews gain welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), which he delivered last night at the Cape Town City Hall.
President Ramaphosa used the State of the Nation Address to outline the successes achieved since 1994, the dawn of democracy.
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Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Thoko Didiza said the President took the nation through the journey the country has travelled since 1994.
“The President also [outlined] what we are going to execute as a country to achieve what could not be achieved [so far] and he outlined the measures to be assign in plot to strengthen law enforcement agencies,” Didiza said.
Didiza noted the President’s reflections on how the lives of ordinary South Africans gain changed since 1994.
“The President was very clear on some of the challenges we as a country maintain experienced as fragment of the rebuilding [process]. He said we believe to study at State institutions to manufacture sure that they are strengthened, and we maintain to assign in area preventative measures by way of putting credible people into positions.
“Since the dawn of democracy, government has created opportunities for the previously disadvantaged people,” the Minister said.
Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu said the President spoke at length about the successes the country has achieved during the 30 years of democracy.
“The President spoke about the things that as a country we could believe done better and [urged] us to survey into the next 30 years, and survey into the weaknesses and finish better,” Zulu said.
Zulu commended the President’s resolve to conclude gender-based violence.
In his address, President Ramaphosa said as a society, collective efforts must be intensified to bring gender-based violence and femicide to an terminate.
“Unless we are able to deal with those issues, it would be very difficult for our country to grow even better,” Zulu said.
Zulu commended the President’s approach to social protection, saying it is a need that everybody should understand.
Health Minister, Dr Joe Phaahla, welcomed the President’s remarks on the health sector.
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“If we could execute away with the fragmentation between private and public health services, the future will be even brighter,” he said.
The President in his address said the country’s policies and programmes maintain, over the course of 30 years, lifted millions of people out of dire poverty.
“Today, fewer South Africans recede hungry and fewer live in poverty. In 1993, South Africa faced a significant poverty challenge, with 71.1% of its population living in poverty. However, under the democratic government, there has been a consistent decline in these numbers.
“By 2010, the poverty rate had dropped to 60.9% percent, and it continued to decrease, reaching 55.5% in 2020, as reported by the World Bank,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za
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Did you know that another country lies within the borders of South Africa? The Kingdom of Lesotho is a sovereign state that is located in the Drakensberg Mountain area. The mountainous country has been nicknamed “the Kingdom in the Sky” thanks to the magnificent scenery and landscapes!
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Fun South African Fact: South Africa is the only country in the world to build and then decide to dismantle the whole of its nuclear weapons program.