South African president pledges to fix economy as election looms

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa pledged to revive its economy which is burdened by government debt and mismanagement as he delivered the state of the nation address on Thursday.

Ramaphosa is trying to retain the support of elements within his African National Congress (ANC) and powerful labor unions who are against reforms that could cost jobs.

“Above everything else, we must get our economy working again. I call upon every South African to make this cause your own because when we succeed and if we do indeed, as we must, it is the entire nation that will benefit”, he said.

Ramaphosa also welcome news about the discovery of hydrocarbon off the coast of the Southern African nation.

‘‘We are extremely encouraged by the report this morning about the Brulpadda block in the Outeniqua Basin, which some have described as a catalytic find. This could well be a game-changer for our country and will have significant consequences for our country’s energy security and the development of this industry”, Ramaphosa said.

The ANC is expected to win the parliamentary election on May 8. Analysts say Ramaphosa needs the victory to be resounding if he is to unite a party deeply divided since the ousting of Jacob Zuma a year ago.

They say he is also likely to retain his role as head of state.

Reuters