Mixed reactions have come out of President Cyril Ramaphosa's State of the Nation Address, with some political parties pleased and others dismissing it as mere repetition of his past speeches.

A VERY HAPPY MAN

The DA's John Steenhuisen said he was pleased that Ramaphosa's SONA speech represented the goals and objectives of his party. "As the leader of the DA, I am extremely proud to say that our policies were front and centre in the President's Sona. At national, provincial and local levels, DA-led initiatives were highlighted and acknowledged as key drivers of progress and reform. This recognition affirms the vital role that the DA has played in shaping government policy across the spectrum of governance. From national government to municipal level, our ministers and representatives have been at the forefront of the reforms necessary for economic growth, job creation, and service delivery."

ALL TALK, NO ACTION

However, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema is not buying into Ramaphosa's "empty promises" and has dismissed the speech as nothing but waffle and empty words. "There is no plan. The president doesn't account for what he said before in this State of the Nation Address. The previous one was 'Tintswalo,' the other one was 'Thuma Mina," Malema told the media outside Cape Town City Hall. Referring to Ramaphosa's promise to allocate a hefty budget towards infrastructure development, Malema said he was just "passing time." He said infrastructure is going to be developed; so much money has been put aside, but where and how? There's no plan. It's just utterances to pass the time. He knows very well that he will not be challenged by those he's convening with." Good parties Brett Herron seeks more clarity on the Basic Income Grant. "So it's disappointing that he didn't go there, though he did confirm that the Social Relief of Distress grant has played a major role in poverty alleviation and will continue. But what he needed to say was, after 20 years of studying basic income, our state is ready to implement a social safety net that includes comprehensive basic income."

NOT CHANGING LIVES

Chief whip of FF Plus, which is part of GNU, Corne Mulder expressed disappointment in the president's speech and said nothing new came out of it. "I'm disappointed because what we heard is nothing new. It's all the same that we've heard in the past. The same recipe, more funds, more projects. But that's not what people are experiencing on the ground. They don't see a change in their lives daily. The data doesn't convince us that that's the case and that's quite unfortunate."