President Cyril Ramaphosa has presented a speech which he hopes will help the nation rise past its misfortunes. Delivered under different circumstances, this year’s State of the Nation Address was like no other considering the circumstances brought on by the global COVID-19 pandemic.
There was no pomp and ceremony. And only 50 people were allowed within the Parliamentary chambers.
Looking at words that stand out from the speech: Will, Billion and People.
Judging from the Wordcloud below, President Ramaphosa is promising to deliver a lot to South Africans in the next year.
The word “will” stands out. One of the most urgent needs for the country is a vaccine for the coronavirus, and Ramaphosa promises to deliver this need as early as next week. Amongst his promises is the promise of a new batch of Johnson & Johnson vaccines to fight the new variant of COVID-19 fueling the second wave of the virus in the country.
Quotes from SONA 2021:
“(We) will now use the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which has been shown to be effective against the 501Y.V2 variant.”
“The first batch, of 80 000 doses, will arrive in the country next week.”
“Further consignments will arrive over the next four weeks, totaling 500 000 Johnson & Johnson vaccines.”
Another word that features prominently is “Billion”, with reference to government spending in an effort to revive the country’s economy.
Below are a few quotes from the speech in this regard.
“The R100 billion Infrastructure Fund is now in full operation.”
“Together with investment confirmed from the two previous investment conferences, we have now received R773 billion in investment commitments towards our 5-year target of R1.2 trillion.”
“Over the next three years, the government will allocate approximately R12 billion to implement the various components of the National Strategic Plan.”
Ramaphosa’s priority in this SONA seems to be people-focused, as the word featured prominently in his speech.
“…nearly one-and-a-half million people in our country are known to have been infected by the virus…More than 45 000 people are known to have died.
“The health and safety of our people remain our paramount concern.”
“A total of 18 million people, or close to one-third of the population, received additional grant payments through these relief measures.”
“Crime and violence continue to undermine people’s sense of safety and security. Tackling crime is central to the success of our recovery.”
The President has also called on the nation to “rise as we prepare for the difficult path ahead” , quoting American poet, Maya Angelou’s poem, Still I Rise…. “Out of the huts of history’s shame, I rise, Up from a past that’s rooted in pain, I rise.”
He urged South Africans to march forward together to equality, dignity and recovery.
