READER LETTER | MPs divided on Cyril Ramaphosa

There is a battle in parliament. The president wants MPs to work together with him towards a common purpose, but the MPs also want to hold him accountable. In the middle, there are South Africans who have become spectators.

The president presented the State of the Nation Address and made critical announcements which he said in his reply to the Sona debate require the support of all MPs to take the country forward: the declaration of a state of disaster on loadshedding; a minister in the presidency to oversee and drive actions to end loadshedding; the implementation of contingency plans for addressing climate change to make cities more resilient towards natural disasters; the efforts to provide training and jobs to the youth; and strengthening institutions to prosecute without fear or favour those alleged to be involved in corruption.

On the other hand, even though there are some MPs who have made it all about politics and started campaigning to lure spectators to vote for them in the 2024 elections, there are some MPs who want to do their task of holding the executive accountable.

They want the president to account for his actions in the Phala Phala theft and to come clean instead of sweeping it under the carpet.

If the president accounts, they can come together to work towards a common purpose, but if the president continues to ignore them, they will continue to be against him. The president must have seen Parliament as an opportunity.

Israel Tshetlhane, Krugersdorp, Mogale City