By Lesedi Sibiya-Diplomatic Insider 

Both houses of Parliament have begun their two-day debate regarding the State of the Nation Address (SONA) that was delivered by President Cyril Ramaphosa, last week Thursday. 

Ramaphosa had made strong announcements in his address such as deployment of the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) to communities suffering from gang violence as well as taking extra strides in dealing with the water crisis by establishing a crisis committee.

 Although South Africa’s economy has significantly improved, there is still little to gain from this growth, which is what the two houses of Parliament will be looking to highlight in this debate. 

One of the issues which will be debated include the interim report of the Madlanga Commission, as well as reforming dysfunctional municipalities and to make Eskom accessible to the private sector.

 One of the highlights from the address include the foot and mouth disease which has been declared a national disaster due to farmers losing their livelihoods and a mass national vaccination drive is due to take place. 

Economic Freedom Fighters Leader, Julius Malema, made some notable statements at the debate on Tuesday, stating that since Ramaphosa has held his presidency the country has faced a wide range of crises which include unemployment, water challenges that continue to worsen and the rise in crime. 

He also highlighted that Ramaphosa is likely to end his term with nothing tangible to show from the promises that he made. Malema also claimed that the President has sold off the country’s sovereignty to external forces.

 “We have warned you that the army is combat-trained and is not trained to enforce laws on civilians. The scale of crime cannot be dealt with by the army alone, because crime is a national crisis and a social crisis” said Malema in the debate. 

Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, had made alternative views in the debate stating that unemployment had decreased by 172,000. She also mentioned that although the water crisis is a pertinent issue, that the government is surely making strides in solving the crisis.