CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – FEBRUARY 14: Democratic Alliance Chief Whip John Steenhuisen speaks during the 2017 State of the Nation Address (SONA) debate at the National Assembly on February 14, 2017 in Cape Town, South Africa. Political parties debated Jacob Zuma’s SONA which was marred by chaos, violence and insults. (Photo by Gallo Images / Beeld / Jaco Marais)
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – FEBRUARY 14: Democratic Alliance Chief Whip John Steenhuisen speaks during the 2017 State of the Nation Address (SONA) debate at the National Assembly on February 14, 2017 in Cape Town, South Africa. Political parties debated Jacob Zuma’s SONA which was marred by chaos, violence and insults. (Photo by Gallo Images / Beeld / Jaco Marais)
#SONA2018 was very much the calm before the storm, as the subsequent debate encountered some dramatic twists and turns. John Steenhuisen took to the floor of the National Assembly late on Monday and delivered a few knock-out blows.
His speech rallied against Cyril Ramaphosa’s likely pick for Deputy President, Lindiwe Sisulu, who made a “car-crash” speech earlier in the day. Mr Steenhuisen mocked her for “failing her job interview”, and that was just in the first 30 seconds.
The DA’s Chief Whip slated the ruling party’s record on education and even advised that the ANC give the go-ahead to building more prisons. After all, Steenhuisen says, we’ll need a lot more room to accommodate the “Zupta” empire:
Watch: John Steenhuisen sweeps the Parliament floor
MUST WATCH: John Steenhuisen sweeps the Parliament floor; delivering a fiery speech during the debate on President Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address.
Posted by Democratic Alliance on Monday, 19 February 2018
“The honourable Sisulu has done a runner after her speech. If that was me, I also wouldn’t be here right now. if that was a job interview, she crashed and burned. But it must be hard, being a former Zuma cheerleader and now having to work under a new leader.”
“For education, we are placed 75 out of 76 in the OECD rankings. We’re 134 out of 138 countries in the WEF’s rankings. Our progress in numeracy and literacy is shocking. 78% of Grade 4 pupils can’t read for comprehension. But we’re held hostage by SADTU, and the truth is, ANC systems have not prepared our learners.”
“To the Deputy Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Thabang Makwetla, I actually don’t know what you’re doing here. You need to be out building more prisons, we’re going to need a hell of a lot more of them soon with these Zuptas. There’s already overcrowding, there’ll be lots more when these people start to fall.”
“Mr President, you’ve been dealt a very bad hand by your party. I know you want a new deal, but the ace in your pack is actually a joker.”
What did the opposition say about #SONA2018?
Mr Steenhuisen was responding to the #SONA2018 speech given by Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday 16 February. Opposition figures had their say in Parliament on Monday, and DA leader Mmusi Maimane was more welcoming of the President than fellow opposition leader, Julius Malema.
Juju criticised Ramaphosa for not taking the issue of land reform seriously. Even so, his response wasn’t quite as fiery as the ANC slayer’s.
