Key highlights from President's State of the Nation Address

IN HIS State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Thursday night, President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted some of the key points in his plans to make South Africa a better nation in terms of service delivery and safety for the citizens.

- BONGANI HANS

Chief among them is the fight against crime, which is escalating in areas around the country, such as in Gauteng and Western Cape, where gangsters seem to be operating with impunity. Ramaphosa said South Africa can be a stronger nation once crime, which cuts short the lives of community members and creates an uncertain future, is addressed at its roots.

“To strengthen our fight against gang violence, lam deploying the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to support the police, as we did to great effect with illegal mining.

“Thave directed the Minister of Police and the SANDF to develop a tactical plan on where our security forces should be deployed within the next few days in the Western Cape and Gauteng to deal with gang violence and illegal mining.”

He added that he will inform the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces about the details of deploying the army, including the time of the deployment, areas to be targeted, and the cost that will go with it.

“We have to act to rid our country of gang violence,” he said.

Ramaphosa stated that the South African Police Service will this year receive an additional 5 500 new police officers in addition to the 20000 announced in the previous Sona.

“At the same time, we are implementing an integrated strategy to address the root causes of crime through coordinated interventions across society, from street lighting to access to social services.