The debate on South African president Cyril Ramaphosa’s state of the nation address covered many topics, ranging from gender-based violence to education. It was held in parliament on 16 February 2021.
Vuyolwethu Zungula, president of the African Transformation Movement, focused on the country’s informal economy. This refers to businesses that are not registered in any way. According to Statistics South Africa, they are “generally small in nature” and usually “run from homes, street pavements and other informal arrangements”.
“It can’t be that more than 70% of the most basic level of the economy is in the hands of non-citizens,” he said. “Prioritising citizens in the informal economy and jobs is long overdue.”
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