With President Cyril Ramaphosa set to deliver the State of the Nation Address in an election year, Action Society warns that South Africans are likely to hear a campaign speech rather than a credible recovery plan for a country in crisis.
In an election year, political survival often replaces political courage. Action Society expects polished promises, broad commitments and carefully framed achievements. What South Africa needs instead are firm timelines, measurable targets and consequences for failure, especially in the fight against violent crime and the protection of women and children.
Safety is not one of many priorities. It is the foundation upon which every other national objective depends. Without a functioning criminal justice system, efforts to revive the economy, stabilise infrastructure or improve education will continue to collapse under the weight of lawlessness.
The fight against violence against women and children cannot be led by a corrupt and ineffective police service. Instead of more commissions and internal assessments of the crisis within SAPS, South Africans need to see criminal prosecutions where corruption and incompetence are uncovered. Transparency must replace secrecy. Accountability must replace excuse making. Public trust in policing has eroded to dangerous levels.
The declaration that violence against women and children is being treated as a national disaster has amounted to little more than rhetoric. There has been no visible surge in investigative capacity, no decisive strengthening of specialised units and no measurable turnaround in outcomes for victims. South Africa does not need more legislation and more committees. It needs trained detectives, properly resourced stations and real consequences for failure.
Action Society further demands a decentralised approach to policing and justice. Centralised control has failed to manage capacity and has weakened accountability. Localised policing and justice structures, with meaningful authority and oversight, are essential if communities are to regain trust and see real performance improvements.
Forensic backlogs remain one of the most damaging silent crises in the justice system. DNA and toxicology delays allow cases to gather dust while victims wait and perpetrators walk free. Government must urgently enter into structured public private partnerships with the private sector to eliminate these backlogs within a fixed timeframe. The expertise and capacity exist. What is missing is political will.
“In an election year, we expect a speech aimed at voters,” says Juanita du Preez, National Spokesperson for Action Society. “What South Africa needs, however, is not a campaign address. We need a decisive plan to restore integrity within SAPS, to prosecute corrupt officials, to decentralise policing powers and to wipe out forensic backlogs. Without safety and justice, no economic reform or infrastructure promise will succeed.”
Action Society notes that State of the Nation Addresses often focus on sectors that have already been deeply mismanaged, including the economy, education and infrastructure. While these areas are important, none of them can be repaired in isolation from the security crisis that continues to devastate communities.
As the country heads toward the polls, Action Society calls on the President to move beyond election messaging and confront the crime crisis with honesty, urgency and measurable action. South Africans deserve protection and justice, and a government willing to act decisively. If not, they deserve one that will move out of the way.
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