President Cyril Ramaphosa has delivered the much anticipated State of the Nation Address highlighting the intent to create jobs, reduce loved and challenge the high cost of living.

A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR FALLEN SOLDIERS

The night's proceedings began with a moment of silence for the 14 South African soldiers who were killed in Goma, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. They were meant to arrive in the country on Wednesday but the repatriation process has since been delayed. "We gather here as we mourn the tragic death and devastating loss of 14 South African soldiers, who were part of a mission to bring peace to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. They lost their lives in defence of the fundamental right of the Congolese people to live in peace and security... They lost their lives so that the guns on our continent may be forever silenced. So we salute them." The repatriation was confirmed by SANDF General Rudzani Maphwanya, who told Parliament that the bodies of the soldiers would arrive in Pretoria on Wednesday. However, SANDF spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini said:"The United Nations planned movement for the repatriation of the deceased out of the combat zone has been delayed." Ramaphosa said South Africans are resilient people and will not be bullied. "As South Africans, we stand for peace and justice; we stand for equality and solidarity. We stand for a non-racial future, and we stand for democracy and tolerance as well as compassion. We stand for equal rights for women, for persons with disability, and for members of the LGBTQI+ community. We stand for our shared humanity, not for the survival of the fittest."

GNU AGENDA

Ramaphosa outlined key priorities of the Government of National Unity (GNU), with economic growth and job creation topping that agenda. He said the employment stimulus has created almost 2.2 million work and livelihood opportunities through innovative models that provide high-quality work to participants. "The Social Employment Fund has created over 80,000 jobs this year. It has supported more than 12,000 participants to enter entrepreneurial activities. During the past year, young people secured 235,000 work opportunities through the National Pathway Management Network, which is underpinned by the SAYouth.mobi platform. We now need to build on these innovative programmes to create jobs for youth on an even greater scale." He said to create jobs, "we must leverage our unique strengths and our unrealised potential to build the industries of the future, green manufacturing, renewable energy, electric vehicles and the digital economy." Ramaphosa said the government will spend more than R940 billion on infrastructure over the next three years. "This includes R375 billion in spending by state-owned companies. This funding will revitalize our roads and bridges, build dams and waterways, modernise our ports and airports and power our economy. Through the Infrastructure Fund, 12 blended finance projects worth nearly R38 billion have been approved in the last year. These are projects in water and sanitation, student accommodation, transport, health and energy."