The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) says it expects President Cyril Ramaphosa to outline concrete solutions to South Africa’s deepening socio-economic challenges when he delivers the State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday evening.
The address, which will be held at Cape Town City Hall, comes amid mounting pressure on government to tackle high unemployment, poverty, inequality, crime and corruption issues the labour federation says can no longer be met with promises alone.
COSATU is urging the President to present clear plans to accelerate economic growth and stabilise struggling public institutions.
The federation’s Parliamentary Coordinator, Matthew Parks, said the country cannot afford to accept sluggish economic performance as the norm.
“We cannot continue to normalise an economy growing at just one percent, as we’ve seen for nearly two decades,” Parks said. “We need to see growth increase to at least three percent over the next two years.”
He warned that South Africa’s unemployment rate, currently around 42 percent, poses a serious risk to social and economic stability.
“That level of unemployment is a ticking time bomb,” he said, adding that workers are increasingly frustrated by the slow pace of reform.
COSATU has identified three priorities it wants addressed in the President’s speech: rebuilding state capacity, stimulating economic growth and providing meaningful relief to poor and unemployed households.
According to Parks, fixing the state begins with restoring the effectiveness of public services. “We must invest in key institutions so that Home Affairs functions properly, schools operate efficiently and police services are able to protect communities,” he said.
With millions of South Africans grappling with joblessness and rising living costs, COSATU says this year’s SONA must move beyond broad commitments and deliver actionable steps because for many households, economic recovery is no longer a policy debate, but a daily survival issue.