EWN Feb 13
SONA 2026: Opposition parties welcome Ramaphosa's vetting order for senior cops:
In his State of the Nation Address, Ramaphosa announced that the State Security ...
ewn.co.za/2026/02/13/sona-2026-opposition-parties-welcome-ramaphosas-vetting-order-for-senior-cops
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political force organized against the incumbent party/coalition
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EWN Apr 08
Senior cop says some high-ranking officials within TMPD refuse to get vetted: TMPD's deputy chief, Sean Bolhuis, has taken the witness stand at the Madlanga ...
ewn.co.za/2026/04/08/senior-cop-says-some-high-ranking-officials-within-tmpd-refuse-to-get-vetted
EWN Feb 19
Ramaphosa says B-BBEE here to stay: Ramaphosa says B-BBEE should not be viewed as a cost to the economy but rather an investment in sustainable growth.
ewn.co.za/2026/02/19/ramaphosa-says-b-bbee-here-to-stay
Key FactsB-BBEE Reform and Commitment
Feb 19, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: ewn.co.za
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: ewn.co.za
- President Ramaphosa affirmed that B-BBEE will not be abandoned despite criticism from some governing partners.
- He framed B-BBEE as an investment in sustainable growth rather than an economic cost and rejected claims it benefited only a few.
- Citing the constitution and income data, he noted that white households still earn nearly five times more than black African households and argued the economy must be transformed to achieve equality.
- A review of the B-BBEE framework was announced to improve effectiveness and support broader transformation and inclusive growth.
It cannot be acceptable to anyone in this house for African people, coloured people and Indian people to be poorer and have fewer opportunities than white people.— Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa, during the State of the Nation Address debate in Parliament
EWN Feb 20
GNU ministers can't claim accomplishments as that of their parties - Ramaphosa: He said the GNU must work as a collective and the progress they’ve made has been ...
ewn.co.za/2026/02/20/gnu-ministers-cant-claim-accomplishments-as-that-of-their-parties-ramaphosa
Key FactsCollective Credit Over Party Claims
Feb 20, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: ewn.co.za
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: ewn.co.za
- President Cyril Ramaphosa said ministers in the Government of National Unity must not present portfolio successes as achievements of their political parties.
- He concluded the two-day debate on the State of the Nation Address with a beaver analogy to underscore coordinated, consistent cooperation instead of ego-driven action.
- Many gains cited in portfolios were founded on work by predecessors, so public claims should reflect shared continuity rather than sole party credit.
- Commitment to partnership and shared responsibility has guided the GNU’s work and was described as essential for facing challenges ahead.
No minister or deputy minister should be publicly claiming their work in the GNU as an achievement of their party. In many cases, the basis for their achievements were laid before they even came into office.— Ramaphosa said it while concluding his reply to the debate on the State of the Nation Address (SONA) about the GNU.
Cyril slams DA ministers for claiming government victories: Ramaphosa says now is the time to ramp up B-BBEE, not scrap it
sundaytimes.timeslive.co.za/news/2026-02-19-cyril-slams-da-ministers-for-claiming-government-victories/
EWN Feb 19
Ramaphosa defends government's progress during SONA debate reply: Ramaphosa added that the last 30 years of democracy had yielded a lot of positives which ...
ewn.co.za/2026/02/19/ramaphosa-defends-governments-progress-during-sona-debate-reply
Key FactsRenewal Amidst Criticism: Progress and Accountability
Feb 19, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: ewn.co.za
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: ewn.co.za
- President Cyril Ramaphosa said the government had made significant progress.
- He stressed that 30 years of democracy yielded many positives that benefited the majority of South Africans.
- The remarks were delivered in reply to a two-day SONA debate where MPs from both houses dissected his address.
- Ramaphosa acknowledged that state capture weakened institutions and said an eight-year effort focused on institutional renewal has sought to stabilise those bodies.
Over the last eight years, our country faced some of the most intractable and difficult challenges, but working together, we have undertaken a programme of institutional renewal by stabilising what was weakened through state capture.— Remarks by President Cyril Ramaphosa during the SONA debate reply.
eNCA Feb 19
LIVESTREAM | President Ramaphosa responds to SONA debate: President Cyril Ramaphosa will have the opportunity to respond to the debate on the State of the Nation ...
enca.com/news-top-stories/livestream-president-ramaphosa-responds-sona-debate
EWN Feb 17
SONA Debate: Malema accuses Ramaphosa of failing to combat crime: Malema blames Ramaphosa and the ANC for the current state of affairs in the police.
ewn.co.za/2026/02/17/sona-debate-malema-accuses-ramaphosa-of-failing-to-combat-crime
Key FactsMalema Condemns Ramaphosa’s Crime-Fighting Strategy
Feb 17, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: ewn.co.za
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: ewn.co.za
- Malema interprets the army’s involvement in Western Cape and Gauteng as an admission of police failure.
- He describes the deployment as a last resort in response to persistent violent and organized crime.
- Malema blames Ramaphosa and the ANC for factionalism that undermines the criminal justice system.
- While some officials praise the military support, experts warn it provides only temporary relief.
Under your term, crime is out of control and deploying the army is a last resort. You are admitting that you’ve failed to fight crime.— Julius Malema, during the SONA debate regarding the deployment of the army to combat crime.
EWN Feb 18
Political parties blow hot and cold on Ramaphosa's SONA: Some parties criticised Presdient Cyril Ramaphosa and his administration’s move to involve more private ...
ewn.co.za/2026/02/18/political-parties-blow-hot-and-cold-on-ramaphosas-sona
EWN Feb 13
MANDY WIENER | Ramaphosa meets the moment on water and crime, but lived experiences will be the measure
ewn.co.za/2026/02/13/mandy-wiener-ramaphosa-meets-the-moment-on-water-and-crime-but-lived-experiences-will-be-the-measure
EWN Feb 13
SONA 2026: Long-awaited bill to protect whistleblowers to be tabled: President Cyril Ramaphosa has promised that the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry into police ...
ewn.co.za/2026/02/13/sona-2026-long-awaited-bill-to-protect-whistleblowers-to-be-tabled
SONA 2026: Ramaphosa hails GNU for economic uptick, urges citizens to ‘march in one line’
iol.co.za/news/politics/2026-02-12-sona-2026-ramaphosa-hails-gnu-for-economic-uptick-urges-citizens-to-march-in-one-line/
EWN Feb 12
MK Party dons black to protest dark cloud of GNU ahead of Ramaphosa’s address: MK Party MP Mzwanele Manyi says these are persistent challenges which President ...
ewn.co.za/2026/02/12/mk-party-dons-black-to-protest-dark-cloud-of-gnu-ahead-of-ramaphosa-s-address
EWN Feb 12
EFF expresses pessimism ahead of Ramaphosa’s SONA: EFF Treasurer-General Omphile Maotwe says the party has little hope that the address will provide solutions to ...
ewn.co.za/2026/02/12/eff-expresses-pessimism-ahead-of-ramaphosa-s-sona
EWN Feb 12
COSATU wants Ramaphosa to ‘shift the needle’ on jobs and growth at SONA: COSATU says the president must outline high impact interventions to tackle unemployment ...
ewn.co.za/2026/02/12/cosatu-wants-ramaphosa-to-shift-the-needle-on-jobs-and-growth-at-sona
EWN Feb 11
Thoko Didiza: SONA more than ceremony, it’s about executive accountability: All three arms of state, including at least two former presidents ...
ewn.co.za/2026/02/11/thoko-didiza-sona-more-than-ceremony-it-s-about-executive-accountability
EWN Feb 12
Madlanga Commission expected to feature prominently in Ramaphosa’s SONA: President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to take to the podium at the Cape Town City Hall ...
ewn.co.za/2026/02/12/madlanga-commission-expected-to-feature-prominently-in-ramaphosa-s-sona
EWN Feb 11
MK Party views SONA as a performative political exercise: It will be the second SONA that President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver on behalf of the GNU ...
ewn.co.za/2026/02/11/mk-party-views-sona-as-a-performative-political-exercise
Key FactsMK Party Labels SONA a Political Performance
Feb 11, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: ewn.co.za
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: ewn.co.za
- The MK Party regards the State of the Nation Address as a staged political event rather than an accurate country assessment.
- This will be President Ramaphosa’s second SONA delivered on behalf of the Government of National Unity, acknowledging other parties' ministers.
- The party argues that SONA no longer serves as a credible tool for national planning or accountability.
- The government continues relying on outdated infrastructure and fails to address unemployment or maximize state revenue effectively.
We can tell you now. That Vulindlela was not meant for our people, because our people are still unemployed, and if there’s any changes in the unemployment figures, they are close to nothing.— Des van Rooyen, Interim parliamentary leader of the MK Party, expressing concern over the government's reform program and its impact on unemployment.
EWN Feb 10
Maimane calls for Police Minister's firing ahead of SONA: Maimane says the country’s politics need an urgent reset, and the President needs to be more decisive ...
ewn.co.za/2026/02/10/maimane-calls-for-police-ministers-firing-ahead-of-sona
Key FactsMaimane Urges Police Minister's Removal Before SONA
Feb 10, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: ewn.co.za
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: ewn.co.za
- Mmusi Maimane wants President Ramaphosa to dismiss Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and name a permanent replacement.
- He stresses an urgent political reset to rebuild the justice system's credibility.
- Maimane criticizes political inertia and advocates for a new centrist approach in South African politics.
- He warns that inquiry commissions lack impact if corrupt politicians are not firmly opposed.
The police are trying to do their best, but how do you do your best when it seems like your leaders are not interested in protecting citizens, but they [are] interested in protecting themselves.— Mmusi Maimane discusses the challenges faced by the police and the responsibility of political leadership.
EWN Feb 09
Parliament aims to keep SONA costs in line with budget: President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver the government’s blueprint for the year ahead at the Cape Town ...
ewn.co.za/2026/02/09/parliament-aims-to-keep-sona-costs-in-line-with-budget
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