Cape Town – President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged political parties, civil society, and citizens to unite in building an inclusive and equal South Africa.
Responding to the State of the Nation Address (SONA) debate on Thursday, Ramaphosa emphasised the need for local solutions to national issues, including tensions with the US, the loss of 14 SANDF soldiers in the DRC, economic struggles, and debates on equality.
“At a time like this, we need to stand united as a nation, particularly now when we are facing a harsh global wind.
“This is not the time for any of us to rush off to foreign lands to lay complaints about issues that we can solve ourselves in our country. We need South African solutions to South African problems,” he said.
In 1968, the apartheid regime began demolishing District Six to make way for a whites-only suburb. More than 60,000 people were forcibly removed. Families were torn apart. An entire community and way of life was destroyed.https://t.co/AAC8cNUCQn
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) February 13, 2025
Although South Africans hold diverse opinions, Ramaphosa stressed the need to present a united front to the world.
“While there are many diverse and different voices in our society, we must strive to convey a common message.
“We must say to our people and to the world, that we are committed to working together to build a society in which all South Africans are free and equal to build a nation that works for all,” he said.
Ramaphosa added: “At this important moment in our country and in our world, we must ask ourselves what kind of a nation we want.
“We want a nation in which all people enjoy equal worth and equal opportunity. We want a nation in which the rule of law is protected and upheld. We want a dynamic and growing economy in which small businesses can emerge and expand.
“It is my firm and enduring belief that all of us as South Africans, as fellow citizens bound together by our history and our present, want the same thing.”
He highlighted the Government of National Unity (GNU) as proof that collaboration is possible despite ideological differences.
Ramaphosa called for a shared vision to uphold democracy, expand opportunities, and ensure stability, describing the current moment as one of “opportunity and hope”.
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Copiled by Betha Madhomu
