Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read
11 February 2026

As South Africa prepares for the 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA), renewed calls are being made for the government to prioritise the rebuilding of frontline public services, which analysts argue is the quickest route to credible nation-building.

Speaking to Radio Islam International, long-time public policy commentator Mathidiso Lencoasa said access to basic services remains the clearest measure of whether government commitments are translating into real change for ordinary citizens.

“The quickest part to credible nation-building is frontline public services. You have to have water, lights, electricity. Schools need to be functioning, roads need to be working and free of potholes,” Lencoasa said.

She raised concern over what she described as a persistent gap between political promises made during SONA and the reality reflected in subsequent budget allocations. “There are a lot of political promises that are made, and then two weeks later there’s a budget speech that doesn’t necessarily align with those promises,” she said, questioning whether departments and municipalities have the capacity to implement what is announced.

Lencoasa pointed to ongoing crises at municipal and provincial levels, particularly in water provision, healthcare facilities and school infrastructure. “We have departments returning millions of rands of taxpayer money allocated to fix these services, saying they do not have the capacity to sustain them. That is an issue of dignity and the realisation of rights,” she said.

Beyond headline budget figures often highlighted during SONA, Lencoasa argued that success should be measured through everyday lived experiences. “The true state of the nation is felt in clinics, classrooms and hospitals. Families must be able to relate to what government says it has achieved,” she noted.

Education infrastructure and youth unemployment were identified as key areas requiring urgent intervention. Lencoasa highlighted the contradiction within the public sector, saying, “We have shortages of doctors, nurses and teachers, but at the same time we have unemployed doctors, nurses and teachers.” Addressing this mismatch, she said, could improve service delivery while easing unemployment pressures.

With SONA 2026 taking place in an election year and amid slightly improved fiscal conditions, Lencoasa said government has fewer excuses for inaction. “There is more room now to move beyond promises and make funded commitments that can be realised this year,” she said.

She concluded by urging accountability and reflection, calling on the President to assess progress made since the previous SONA before outlining new commitments. “People are tired of the same old promises. What matters is what changes in our lived reality.”