President Cyril Ramaphosa said 2022 has been a difficult year for South Africans, as they had to endure socio-economic challenges and tragedies. He was delivering his New Year message to the nation on Saturday.
“2022 has been a difficult year. It is a year during which South Africans continued to endure the hardships that are given rise to by unemployment, poverty, and persistent inequality. On top of all this we have had to deal with the rising cost of living and an energy crisis,” said Ramaphosa.
He highlighted that these challenges were also exacerbated by the loss of loved ones to tragedies.
“There have been devastating tragic events that have destroyed both lives and livelihoods. These events have included floods, fatal vehicle crashes, deaths in taverns, dam wall collapses, drownings, fires in informal settlements and most recently, the terrible explosion of a fuel tanker in Boksburg in Gauteng that killed at least 34 people.
A number of young men have lost their lives during the summer initiation season, turning what was meant to be a time of joy and celebration into a time of sorrow,” added Ramaphosa.
The President also acknowledged that the Covid-19 pandemic had a devastating impact in the country’s economy and resulted in job losses. He said the pandemic is no longer determining how people live their lives and that the economy is recovering again.
“Our economy is growing again and is now larger than it was before the pandemic. Over the past year, around 1.5 million new jobs were created. The Presidential Employment Stimulus, which has provided opportunities to more than a million citizens, is growing and thriving.
We are improving the business operating environment and attracting new investment. We are undertaking reforms in the operation of our ports and railways, and in our telecommunications, water and electricity sectors. We are working hard to end the crisis of load shedding. We are increasing the amount of renewable energy on the grid,” said Ramaphosa.
The President said significant steps had been taken to fight crime and corruption in the country. He applauded several arrests and the recoup of corruption related money.
“Over the last year, there have been milestones in the fight against corruption. The State Capture Commission handed over its final report and the government has set out a plan for the implementation of its recommendations.
There have been several arrests, prosecutions and convictions for corruption and cases related to state capture. Significant amounts of stolen funds have been recovered by state owned companies like Eskom and Transnet,” stressed the President.
Despite what he described as a “stormy phase in the life of a country,” Ramaphosa urged citizens to be hopeful for the coming year. He said it is a time for fresh starts in a number of aspects that affect our lives and for making resolutions to do things better.
