ramaphosa address the nation family meeting

President Cyril Ramaphosa could soon give another televised address to South Africans – Photo: Flickr / GCIS

NEW family meeting? Ramaphosa ‘set to address the nation’ – here’s why…

It’s been almost four months since Cyril Ramaphosa last gave an address to the nation. Here’s why another family meeting is in the pipeline.

ramaphosa address the nation family meeting

President Cyril Ramaphosa could soon give another televised address to South Africans – Photo: Flickr / GCIS

Well, we haven’t missed these. Mzansi has not been subjected to a family meeting with President Ramaphosa for a fair few months, with Cyril limiting his televised addresses to the nation in 2022. However, we could be hearing that ‘fellow South Africans…’ line in just a matter of days.

Why might Cyril Ramaphosa announce a new family meeting?

Sources from the ANC leader’s inner circle revealed that Ramaphosa is set to announce a set of emergency interventions, in relation to the chronic electricity shortages that have blighted SA recently. In this month alone, citizens have been subjected to DAYS of Stage 6 load shedding.

It’s understood he is planning to take the electorate into his confidence, by delivering an address to the nation as he did during the height of the pandemic. These statements, which usually announced a set of changes to COVID restrictions, became colloquially known as ‘family meetings’.

Ramaphosa set to go ‘all out’ in bid to end load shedding

The term isn’t hugely popular with those in opposition to the ANC, but it still remains part of the national lexicon. Even our top Parliamentary experts are using this phrase, and Hajra Omarjee – Business Day‘s Political Editor – says a family meeting is indeed on the cards.

“I think what South Africa agrees on is that we are facing an energy crisis. This is no doubt a national emergency that is costing the economy over R4 billion a day – a family meeting is in imminent. However, the president is still stuck in consultation.”

What can we expect from our next family meeting?

What Ramaphosa will announce is not yet set in stone, but it’s believed the following actions ARE on the agenda:

  • Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to declare a national ‘energy emergency’.
  • This should then be followed by confirmation that legal red tape will be ‘aggressively slashed’, in order to make sweeping reforms.
  • The president, according to BusinessDay, will also detail a set of actions that ‘aim to solve the current electricity crisis’.