With President Cyril Ramaphosa set to deliver the State of the Nation Address on Thursday, the DA, in true opposition style, presented an alternative to this today.

Presented by the party leader, John Steenhuisen, the address saw the leader openly criticise President Cyril Ramaphosa- a rare occurrence for the leader and the party.

Referring to Ramaphosa’s reign as President, Steenhuisen expressed that Ramaphosa “had his chance, and spectacularly blew it” adding that “Ramaphosa is the one who has taken us down this path of failure over the last five wasted years”. 

With most of the address centered around South Africans “binary” choice, Steenhuisen emphasised that South Africa’s future is “a choice between Blue and Yellow”. 

He further added that the DA is bigger than the EFF, IFP, and the next four parties combined and that smaller opposition parties will promise things they can never deliver.

“Instead of fragmenting the opposition vote among tiny parties with no realistic shot at leading a government, doesn’t it make far more sense to consolidate support behind the DA, so that we can close the remaining 10% gap and overtake the ANC?”- John Steenhuisen

Steenhuisen further emphasised that those who want the country to turn away from the failed status quo should vote with the DA. 

When speaking on load shedding, Steenhuisen expressed that the country is falling apart, and referred to load shedding as an ANC-made crisis.

ANC-led coalition agreements were another matter of contention for the leader of the opposition. Steenhuisen referred to the City of Johannesburg’s new government, adding that such coalitions offer “no prospect of change”

Steenhuisen painted such governments as ANC governments in a different guise and called for voters to pick the more “hopeful” option of a new government built on the values of the DA.

With Ramaphosa set to deliver the SONA in a few days, many will wait in anticipation to see if the President and his government have lived up to the promises made in the previous address.