{"id":94941,"date":"2025-02-08T16:31:17","date_gmt":"2025-02-08T14:31:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/?p=94941"},"modified":"2025-02-08T16:44:13","modified_gmt":"2025-02-08T14:44:13","slug":"probably-ramaphosas-strongest-sona-rise-mzansi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/probably-ramaphosas-strongest-sona-rise-mzansi\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Probably Ramaphosa\u2019s Strongest Sona\u2019: Rise Mzansi"},"content":{"rendered":"

Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za<\/a>
\n3-minute read
\n08 February 2025 | 12:25 CAT<\/p>\n

\"\"

RISE Mzansi says the state of the nation address was probably president Cyril Ramaphosa\u2019s strongest yet, however, the proof will be in the budget and implementation.<\/p><\/div>\n

President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) under the seventh administration and the Government of National Unity (GNU), setting the tone for the country\u2019s political and economic direction. While GNU partners have largely praised his address, opposition parties outside the coalition have voiced strong criticism.<\/p>\n

Rise Mzansi, one of the GNU partners, has welcomed the speech, viewing it as a firm commitment to national priorities. Speaking to Radio Islam International<\/a>, Makashule Gana from Rise Mzansi stated, \u201cWe feel that it was strong, striking the right notes both in terms of the challenges we face as a country and our responsibilities globally.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among the key points highlighted by Rise Mzansi were the commitments to revitalizing the commuter rail system, investing in water infrastructure, and increasing funding for critical infrastructure. \u201cThese are areas we have been championing as crucial for economic growth,\u201d Gana explained. \u201cOnly by expanding the economy can we create sustainable jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n

With SONA marking the first address under the seventh administration, GNU members view it as a pivotal moment. Gana emphasized its significance: \u201cIt sets the roadmap for the administration\u2019s focus. Now, we await the budget on February 19 to assess how much funding will be allocated to these commitments.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, while Rise Mzansi and other GNU partners have expressed optimism, concerns remain over certain areas that lacked clear direction. One such issue is crime and public safety. \u201cWe felt that stronger pronouncements were needed to ensure the safety of South Africans. The upcoming budget will reveal whether adequate resources are allocated to this sector,\u201d Gana added.<\/p>\n

Another key moment in the address was Ramaphosa\u2019s stance on international pressure, particularly from the United States. The president reaffirmed South Africa\u2019s sovereignty, resisting external influence. Gana noted, \u201cThis was critical given our current diplomatic position. We must navigate global pressures while staying true to our values.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking ahead, Rise Mzansi remains confident that joining the GNU was the right decision. \u201cWe continue to play our role in ensuring accountability and contributing where needed,\u201d Gana said. \u201cOur impact so far has been positive, and we look forward to shaping governance in a meaningful way.\u201d<\/p>\n

As South Africa awaits the budget speech, the true test of SONA\u2019s promises will be in the government\u2019s financial commitments. For now, the political landscape remains divided, with GNU partners optimistic and opposition parties sceptical.<\/p>\n

Listen to the full interview on The Daily Round Up with Annisa Essack and Makashule Gana here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za 3-minute read 08 February 2025 | 12:25 CAT President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) under the seventh administration and the Government of National Unity (GNU), setting the tone for the country\u2019s political and economic direction. While GNU partners have largely praised his address, opposition parties […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":94942,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[28,4995],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-94941","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news","category-south-africa"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/In-South-Africa-RISE-Mzansi-applaus-Ramaphosas-SONA.jpg?fit=656%2C361&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pc0QIf-oHj","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-18 22:35:02","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94941","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=94941"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94941\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/94942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=94941"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=94941"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=94941"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}