SOPA 2026 | State of denial or roadmap for growth ?

dailydispatch.co.za · Feb 27, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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Opposition parties in the Bhisho legislature on Thursday delivered sharply contrasting verdicts on premier Oscar Mabuyane’s state of the province address (Sopa), with some describing it as uninspiring and short on accountability, while the ANC hailed it as a decisive roadmap for growth.Mabuyane delivered his second Sopa of the seventh administration at the Bhisho legislature on Thursday morning.DA MPL Vicky Knoetze labelled the event a “state of denial address”.“Premier Mabuyane titled his state of the province address Siyakha, Siyakhathala, Siyaphambili, Sisonke, which translates to ‘we build, we care, we advance, together.’“However, after 30 years of ANC governance, the Eastern Cape remains the only province where more people are unemployed than working.”Knoetze said the premier should have outlined firm commitments to stabilise struggling municipalities and address infrastructure failures.“The premier should have committed to stabilising distressed municipalities, enforcing consequence management … implementing a funded recovery plan to address the R30bn roads maintenance backlog, ensuring that conditional grants are fully spent, and rolling out a comprehensive water supply master plan.“He did none of this, opting instead to give a masterclass on spin; cherry-picking data that paints a rosy picture of a province that, in reality, is in crisis.“Premier Mabuyane glossed over the crime reality, praising slight declines in numbers, while ignoring the fact that people in this province are still more likely to be raped or murdered than anywhere else in SA,” she said.The provincial roads maintenance backlog stands at R30bn, while allocated funds have gone unspent— Vicky Knoetze, DA MPL She added that “at a local level, 16 municipalities in the province are classified as distressed”.“Businesses are disinvesting due to unreliable services, and residents in both urban and rural areas struggle with access to water, electricity and safe roads.”“The provincial roads maintenance backlog stands at R30bn, while allocated funds have gone unspent.“The DA remains adamant that the only solution to the crises facing our province is firm and measurable commitments to stabilise and grow the provincial economy, restore confidence in governance, and protect jobs.“A true state of the province address should honestly confront the challenges facing residents and present measurable solutions.“Instead, the premier delivered a speech rich in announcements, but poor in accountability,” Knoetze said.UDM MPL Noncedo Zinti described the address as dull, arguing that the province’s core problem was not planning but execution.“The province does not lack plans, it lacks implementation,” she said.“We appreciate the intention to grow the economy, expand infrastructure and attract investment. “That is important for the future of the Eastern Cape. But good intentions must lead to real change in people’s lives.“Our biggest crisis remains unemployment. Especially youth unemployment. Too many young people have qualifications, but no jobs.“We heard about billions being invested in energy, roads and major projects, but we must ask whether these investments are creating jobs at scale?” Zinti said.She warned against overstating limited employment gains.“When 900 jobs are presented as a major achievement, we must be honest and say that is not enough … our people do not need announcements. They need employment.”Zinti said there were no clear provincial targets to reduce youth unemployment.She said small towns were in decline and required focused intervention.“We need a proper small-town revitalisation plan,” she said.The UDM also called for greater support for local businesses, livestock farmers and the rural economy.Zinti said the party wanted “job targets, quarterly progress reports, support for small towns and livestock farmers, and completion of stalled projects”.Patriotic Alliance MPL Tiphany Harmse said her party was worried that Mabuyane had not addressed scholar transport, noting that more than 34,000 pupils were excluded from scholar transport this year.She also raised concerns about the employment of doctors, with a small group picketing outside the legislature precinct during Thursday’s Sopa.“There is a big need for doctors in our hospitals … There are 126 doctors and dentists in this province in desperate need of employment. “We go around saying we want to employ our people, but here they are on the streets,” Harmse said.In contrast, the provincial ANC welcomed Mabuyane’s address, describing it as “a bold and decisive annual roadmap … underscoring the party’s resolute commitment to the national democratic revolution”.Provincial ANC spokesperson Yanga Zicina said the speech was “a testament to the ANC’s unwavering commitment to socioeconomic development, governance reform and enhanced service delivery”.“The ANC welcomes the focus on skills development, particularly in critical areas such as engineering, medicine and information technology.“The Sopa’s focus on education, health, agriculture, economic growth and job creation as apex priorities is in line with the ANC’s vision for a better life for all.“We also welcome the establishment of the Young Businesses in Africa Seed Ecosystem Weaving Initiative, which will create a network of support that expands access to mentorship, product development, markets, finance and visibility of regional role players.“The youth of our province will benefit,” Zicina said.He said the ANC acknowledged the province’s challenges.“The ANC acknowledges that the province faces significant challenges, including poverty, unemployment and inequality.“We appreciate the premier’s candid acknowledgement of these challenges and his commitment to addressing them,” Zicina said.“The ANC commends the premier for highlighting the importance of agriculture, tourism and the blue economy [sustainable, economic use of ocean and coastal resources] in driving economic growth and job creation.“The province’s efforts to promote ecotourism, cultural tourism and adventure tourism are commendable.” He said the ANC was confident that implementation of the commitments would “bring about significant change and bring hope and prosperity to the people of the Eastern Cape”.EFF MPs boycotted this year’s address.Click here to join the Daily Dispatch’s WhatsApp channel and get the latest news delivered straight to your phoneDaily Dispatch