The state of the nation address (Sona) is often full of hits, misses and heightened expectations.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has had his share of failed promises, with some still remaining in his imagination. Here we go down memory lane before Ramaphosa’s 2026 Sona on Thursday night:
- In his 2025 Sona, Ramaphosa promised the establishment of the National Water Resource Infrastructure Agency, which would oversee and manage all water infrastructure in the country. Most of the work to establish it has been done, but in reality, the agency doesn’t exist (other than on paper). Unfortunately, the water crisis still persists in areas such as Gauteng, which is dealing with severe water shortages.
- In 2025, Ramaphosa pledged to establish 16 additional sexual offences courts in the 2025/26 financial year. These courts were to have special features that would guarantee the safety and privacy of gender-based violence victims. Eight of these courts have been built so far.
- In 2020, the president received a resounding cheer when he announced that Ekurhuleni would have a new university specialising in science and innovation. Last week, youth in Ekurhuleni protested, asking the president to live up to his promise.
- Presenting his 2020 Sona, Ramaphosa announced the establishment of a “smart city” that would be a “truly post-apartheid city” capable of accommodating 350,000 to 500,000 people in Lanseria by 2030. To date this hasn’t happened and the identified land is still occupied by shacks.
- In 2019 the president imagined a bullet train connecting cities at high speed. The train remains a dream.
Sowetan
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