President Cyril Ramaphosa and NCOP Chairperson Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane ahead of the Opening of Parliament Address.(@ParliamentRSA/X, formerly Twitter)
Ramaphosa’s Opening of Parliament Address on Thursday night centred on two themes: economic reform and the pursuit of national unity. And unlike his State of the Nation Address two years ago, he delivered the speech as the head of a coalition government, not an ANC one.
Nine key take-outs from Ramaphosa’s Opening of Parliament Address
With the government of national unity (GNU) in full swing, and Parliament officially opened, here are nine key points News24 extracted from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address.
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Ramaphosa pushes for high-tech policing in SA
In his Opening of Parliament Address on Thursday evening, Ramaphosa said to tackle crime and corruption, the country must have capable, sophisticated and independent law enforcement agencies that can fight complex and organised crime.
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GNU to tackle high cost of living, poverty
President Cyril Ramaphosa has committed the government of national unity to prioritise tackling poverty and the high cost of living to assist South Africans who are living in abject poverty. He announced reducing poverty and tackling the high cost of living would be the second priority of the GNU’s three strategies over the next five years. Ramaphosa said this would include reviewing the fuel price formula to identify areas where food prices could be reduced.
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Ramaphosa wants GNU to fix ailing municipalities
With the 2026 municipal elections looming, Ramaphosa said the GNU would prioritise the 257 municipalities in the country. He said the seventh administration would pay special attention to struggling municipalities. “To achieve rapid, inclusive growth, we need to fix our struggling municipalities,” he said.
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GNU to pour investment into water infrastructure
Ramaphosa committed the government of national unity to greater investment in bulk water infrastructure and better regulation of water services across the country. “The well-being of our people and the growth of our economy depends on another important issue, which is water,” Ramaphosa said. “South Africa is a water-scarce country, and our water security is threatened by historical underinvestment in bulk water resources and distribution infrastructure.
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Ramaphosa confident GNU partners will find consensus on NHI
Ramaphosa expressed confidence that parties in the government of national unity could iron out their differences on a policy the DA had already indicated it would continue to oppose: National Health Insurance (NHI). “An important task of the next five years is to ensure that we also reduce the high cost of living through ensuring that everyone in South Africa has equal access to equitable, accessible and affordable quality healthcare,” he said.
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FIRST TAKE | Ramaphosa breaks cover as he reaches for NHI, economic reform
President Cyril Ramaphosa made significant policy concessions in his address to the new Parliament on Thursday night, writes Pieter du Toit. He must now execute.
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