Cabinet ministers used their contributions across the first two days of the state of the nation address (Sona) debate to detail implementation plans, budget allocations, institutional reforms and security measures within their respective portfolios.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said the water crisis committee has begun work and a municipal support plan is being implemented, including in Ekurhuleni.
She reiterated Transnet has not been privatised and said working with private partners does not amount to wholesale asset disposal. Ntshavheni also confirmed the State Security Agency vetting plan for senior police leadership will be tabled by the end of February.
Home affairs minister Leon Schreiber said the department is undergoing structural reform and “rejecting the old way of doing things”. He reported turnaround times for smart IDs have been reduced by 67% and confirmed the digital ID rollout will begin this year.
He said facial recognition technology is being expanded through the Border Management Authority and services are being rolled out in bank branches in villages, towns and cities to eliminate system downtime. Schreiber said the department is moving towards real-time digital systems and home affairs is being modernised to improve efficiency and integrity.
Acting police minister Firoz Cachalia confirmed the national police commissioner and the SA National Defence Force met earlier this week and military deployments will commence within 10 days, including in the Eastern Cape.
He said multidisciplinary task teams — comprising the National Prosecuting Authority, Special Investigating Unit, SA Revenue service and experienced detectives — will target the leadership, finances and logistics of criminal syndicates. He confirmeda vetting plan for senior police officers will be submitted to the national police commissioner, the police minister and the joint standing committee on Intelligence by the end of February.
Cachalia said organised crime, illegal mining and infrastructure sabotage will be addressed through coordinated law enforcement operations.
Basic education minister Siviwe Gwarube said education reform is central to long-term economic growth. She announced R10bn has been allocated over the next three years for early childhood development. She said feeding schemes remain critical, saying “South Africa is not a poor country, our children cannot die of hunger”.
Gwarube said the department has “radically turned the basic education system on its head” and emphasised a child from Lusikisiki must have the same start as a child from Bishopscourt. She said education is where productivity begins and reform must focus on quality and equal opportunity.
Public works & infrastructure minister Dean Macpherson detailed the establishment of a state property investment vehicle, describing it as the most significant reform in public asset management since 1994. He said the reform separates the roles of owner, manager and developer, introduces professional property management and uses real-time data rather than fragmented spreadsheets.
Macpherson said the state’s R155bn property portfolio will be actively managed to unlock value and reduce waste. He cited Telkom Towers, which has cost the state close to R1bn while remaining unused, and confirmed a request for information is being finalised to repurpose it.
He identified Youngsfield and Wingfield defence land as sites for residential development and said underutilised assets will be converted into productive accommodation.
Deputy electricity & energy minister Samantha Graham-Maré welcomed the president’s commitment to keeping electricity reforms on track. She reported clean audits across entities, including the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation, and said the department is building a modern energy system that supports growth. She expressed confidence in the reform trajectory and said electricity restructuring remains focused on long-term system stability.
Transport minister Barbara Creecy said the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) is responsible for 31,000km of road network and confirmed extensive upgrades, including the N2, as the largest single investment in recent years. She said Sanral created 35,000 job opportunities last year.
Creecy confirmed 300 SA-manufactured trains have been placed back onto the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa network, transporting millions of passengers. She said transport infrastructure is being positioned to support economic growth and logistics reform.
International relations minister Ronald Lamola, who closed the debate on day two, said leadership “is not the art of chasing applause” and called on members to “build a united South Africa together”. He said initiatives claimed by coalition partners were initiated under the ANC’s sixth administration. Lamola said the DA must decide whether it is in government or in opposition, arguing it cannot occupy both roles simultaneously.
He maintained black economic empowerment remains a constitutional imperative and “the government of national unity does not mean the burial of BEE”. He said no document supersedes the constitution and BEE benefits most South Africans.
Lamola rejected claims that public-private partnerships amount to wholesale privatisation and said SA’s policy framework remains rooted in a mixed economy. He stressed “Africa is our destiny” and African mineral resources must benefit the continent.
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