LETTER: Cyril ‘talk more but do nothing’ Ramaphosa is ready to do it again in Sona

The EFF can be expected to use Thursday’s state of the nation address (Sona) as a platform to yet again indulge in its abusive, vulgar and mindless rhetoric and undignified unparliamentarily behaviour. Its childish antics in parliament are an insult to any thinking South African and contribute nothing to the country’s wellbeing.

However, its protest against the nation having to subject itself to yet another patronising, meaningless “cut and paste” address by a highly compromised, conflicted, gutless and stagnant president is not without merit.

Aside from his ANC sycophants and cadres in the SA Revenue Service, SA Reserve Bank and other state institutions who protect him from scrutiny — as he does them — President Cyril Ramaphosa commands no respect and no credibility, least of all from some of his own cabinet members who publicly and openly defy him.

His consistent denial of his or his government’s accountability or responsibility for the disastrous state of our nation, and his hollow promises of remedial action, fly in the face of reality and his “talk more but do nothing” strategy renders his Sona address a meaningless, costly and self-serving  exercise in futility.

Our flawed electoral system, which allows political party representatives to survive their incompetence without sanction by the electorate, does not mean those who sit in our dysfunctional parliament cannot act with honour, courage and conviction.

In this regard, it would be appropriate — and send a powerful message to the citizens of our country — if the DA and other political parties that truly embrace our constitutional democracy and its inherent values, boycotted the Sona. In doing so they may make themselves conspicuous by their absence and acquire a new relevance within our political environment.

David Gant
Kenilworth

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