Will foreign-policy concerns overshadow domestic troubles?

The address follows a two-day Cabinet lekgotla held two weeks ago, wherein the final details of the president’s speech were finalised.

It is anticipated that, in addition to SA’s issues of economic growth and job creation, Ramaphosa will unpack such matters as the country’s recent electricity tariff-hikes due to rising costs of energy generation and infrastructure maintenance; and SA’s Just Energy Transition initiative.

This was presented as central to South Africa’s economic renewal in last year’s SONA, wherein which he set the intention of investing in renewable energy, modernising infrastructure, and implementing regulatory reforms, as well as stabilising the country’s energy supply.

Meanwhile, Ramaphosa is also expected to unpack the government’s plans for universal health insurance. Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen today expressed the party’s eagerness to work with a ministerial advisory committee to explore alternatives to the NHI, aiming to implement it without undermining private healthcare schemes.

Geopolitics overshadow domestic issues

However, it may very well be that this week’s SONA sees pressing domestic issues—such as unemployment, the ongoing water crisis, and local government challenges—overshadowed by geopolitical concerns, as Ramaphosa is expected to use the address to reassure the nation about the deployment of South African troops in the eastern DRC.

Last week, 14 South African soldiers deployed on a peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) lost their lives in a combat zone. Their remains are being repatriated, it was announced today.

Furthermore, South Africans are seeking clarity on the stand-off between the US and South Africa, as the US threatens to remove aid from the country.

Despite ongoing tensions, the GNU is also expected to be a key focus of the president’s address.

The president’s national address is expected to kick off at 7pm tonight.