An economist has urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to move beyond broad reassurances and deliver concrete, measurable plans when he presents the State of the Nation Address, saying South Africa can no longer afford “policy talk without progress.”
Johan Coetzee said the country needs decisive action rather than prolonged debate, particularly on unemployment, crime, service delivery failures and sluggish economic growth.
“My hope is that the President will clearly signal that the time for action is now,” Coetzee said. “South Africa needs fewer promises and far more visible progress. We must see practical solutions, especially in infrastructure and basic services, supported by clear timelines.”
He stressed that tangible improvements in job creation and economic performance are critical to restoring public confidence and stimulating recovery.
Meanwhile, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has acknowledged mounting challenges within the education sector, including what she describes as years of systemic underfunding.
Gwarube said she hopes the President will outline specific interventions to address financial and operational pressures facing schools across the country.
She pointed to ongoing difficulties in KwaZulu-Natal, where budget constraints have contributed to disruptions and protests at several schools at the start of the academic year.
“You look at a province like KwaZulu-Natal in particular they’re under great financial distress,” Gwarube said. She noted that the provincial education department has been placed under Section 18 of the Public Finance Management Act, effectively putting it under administration to stabilise its finances.
However, she added that there is no direct financial or legal mechanism through which the national Department of Basic Education can bail out struggling provincial departments.
As expectations build ahead of the President’s address, calls are growing for solutions that move from paper to practice with economists and education leaders alike emphasising that delivery, not declarations, will determine success.