Abstract:
The paper attempts to outline the South African Presidents State of the Nation address (Sona)
delivered to parliament and the nation in February, 2017. In so doing the author posits that, it
was a speech that outlined fantasies and outlined very sketchily, what exactly is meant by radical
economic transformation. In other words, it coloured the outline of radical economic
transformation. Three years running now, the State of the Nation Address has been marred by a
riotous assembly that, tells its own story of the state of the nation. After the thunder, the
president's speech was an anti - climax and, brought no hope for a beleaguered economy that is
reeling and is on a downward spiral. In other words, radical economic transformation as an
economic model for South Africa is so wooly, it will be impossible to implement the author
contends. This is exemplified by the all - embracing reality that Sona talk is cheap and indicates
in no uncertain terms that, the African National Congress as the ruling party is full of rhetoric
and trips over itself to unpack and decode the phrase radical economic transformation. It has to
be realized that, the author posits that after the ratcheted up radical economic transformation
rhetoric, the president and finance minister may soon stumble on a terrain potholed by
'alternative facts.' The paper therefore looks at the 2017, South African state of the nation
address from a critical perspective. At the same time, it looks very briefly at the Finance
Minister's subsequent balanced budget and, the praise that was accorded him, in spite of the
attack upon him by the president's populist acolytes, who want him to be removed, in spite of his
sterling performance in most difficult economic times for South Africa. |
International Journal of Social Science & Economic Research
