Labour wants a frank assessment and clear interventions of how President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration plans on turning the nation around.

Cosatu has expressed serious concern about policies that have suffocated the economy and left half the adult working population unemployed.

The trade federation’s spokesperson Sizwe Pamla says they expect to hear in the State of the Nation Address what critical interventions will be implemented to grow the economy and rebuild the state. Among their calls are that the Economic Recovery and Reconstruction Plan be adequately resourced by both government and business. It wants the amendment to regulation 28 finalised so that it can unlock further stimulus. It wants the R350 Social Relief of Distress Grant to be extended beyond March this year and to be increased to the food poverty line of R624. It believes this puts the country on a solid and affordable foundation for a Basic Income Grant.

Lastly Cosatu is hoping that the president deals with the contentious issue of local companies playing poor foreign workers against poor South African workers.