By: Aneeqa du Plessis

With the annual State of the Nation Address set to take place on Thursday in Cape Town, The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to deliver concrete solutions that will eradicate load shedding, create jobs, and bring down soaring levels of unemployment.

Speaking on VOC’s Breakfast show on Wednesday morning, Western Cape Cosatu’s provincial secretary Malvern De Bruyn said the current state of the country cannot be ‘normal’.

“We have high expectations for tomorrow’s address. But firstly, we want the president to recap last year’s speech and tell us what exactly has been implemented and how far we’ve come since then. We look forward to the president highlighting the energy crisis we are battling daily. Further to that, he needs to make us aware of crime prevention solutions as well as means to mitigate the high levels of unemployment. How is it possible to run a country efficiently but there’s a 43% unemployment rate,” questioned De Bruyn.

This year’s address holds weight as citizens are just over 12 months away from the next general elections where they will get to elect a new National Assembly as well as the provincial legislature in each province.

“In fifteen months, we will have the next general elections and people will remember what the president says when they stand at the ballot box and this is how the state needs to be held to account,” said De Bruyn.

Subsequently, the union wants the president to address the condition of farmworkers.

“Apart from the power cuts, joblessness, and unemployment rate, we want Ramaphosa to address the atrocious working conditions farm workers are subjected to daily. We also expect the president to address the grants and how he plans to safeguard the vulnerable,” added De Bruyn.

COMMUNITY POLICING FORUMS

The MEC of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Reagen Allen said in the 2021/2022 financial year, the ideal staffing requirement was 193 476 but the actual number of officers was only 105 935.

“Effectively, this means that recruitment in the SAPS is lagging behind by approximately 20 years and just less than 90 000 officers that should be on the ground,” said Allen.

This lack of resources has contributed to the heightened crime experienced daily on the Cape Flats. Community Policing Forums (CPF) said little has been done to alleviate their task of ridding areas from the onslaught of violence.

According to Chairperson of Bishop Lavis CPF Graham Lindhorst, Ramaphosa needs to send a powerful message regarding crime in his address.

“We expect Ramaphosa to be decisive with solutions to the murders, rapes, gender-based violence (GBV) and gang violence in the area. Our people are dying, and we can’t help them effectively because we are under-resourced, understaffed and over worked,” explained Lindhorst.

Head of the Manenberg CPF, Pastor Vernon Visagie says the murder rate has more than doubled in the area with no end in sight.

“In Manenberg the murder rate went up by 125% and that is alarming and to crown it all, it is the youth that are dying on our streets but yet we are still waiting for our resources that the state promised us, but we can only wait so long before our youth are eradicated completely,” explained Visagie.

For Hanover Park CPF Spokesperson, Yaseen Johaar a state of emergency is the only solution to the unending crime in the province.

“If you compare this year to last, little has changed regarding crime in the Western Cape. Millions of rands are spent to combat crime but nothing substantial comes from this. We need the president to call for a state of emergency and we need it now before our communities are wiped out,” added Johaar.

Subsequently, Government has allocated more than R8 million for the ‘downscaled’ state of the nation address. Parliamentary secretary Xolile George said the money has been allocated to host over 250 guests who will be in attendance at the City Hall.

VOC