This week's state of the nation address by President Cyril Ramaphosa must have been his most challenging yet, coming as it did when the nation is caught in the midst of the perfect storm of the Covid-19 pandemic and an economy mired in stagnation.
Given our multifold crisis, Ramaphosa did well to narrow his and the nation's focus going forward to four priorities, resisting the temptation of a long shopping list that would have tested the state's already suspect capacity and blunted its focus.
Ramaphosa's focal points, which he called the "overriding priorities of 2021", were defeating the coronavirus, accelerating economic recovery, effecting reforms to create jobs and promote inclusive growth, and fighting corruption and strengthening the state. The choice of priorities cannot be faulted.
It is a no-brainer that dealing with the pandemic should be centre stage of any national effort to better the lives of citizens. This is because the virus has cast a pall over every aspect of our existence, from economic activity to quality of life. Without effectively bringing the epidemic under control, it will be difficult to stem the unprecedented loss of life and to meaningfully restore normality. Even before the pandemic, our economy was in dire straits, needing urgent resuscitation.
The pandemic merely deepened the crisis. A depressed economy constrains the government's ability to meet its obligations - such as funding social welfare, education and health care - with grievous consequences for citizens. This makes economic recovery a sine qua non for the government to fulfil its obligations and a return to normal life.
The president was correct to focus on our unsustainably high unemployment levels, which contribute to deepening poverty, itself a threat to social stability. In that context, he will hopefully pay serious attention to bringing to life the now-familiar mantra of "inclusive growth" in order to address the deep and widening gap between rich and poor.
Few would quibble with the decision to intensify the fight against corruption, which has inflicted a heavy cost on the nation and resulted in the weakening and near-destruction of many critical state institutions. In which context the strengthening of the state, as the president promises, should be welcomed by all South Africans.
That said, the value of his promises lies more in what he in fact delivers than in what he says. And in the means he chooses to achieve his goals.
The president, correctly, bemoaned the failures in local government, which have become legendary. He blamed this on the appointment of unsuitable people to key positions, who then proceeded to "mess up". "The days of messing up," he declared, "are over." Indeed, Mr President. But the "messing up", we would like to add, must stop not just at local government level, but at all tiers of government, and in all state institutions.
Already about halfway through his tenure, Ramaphosa must realise he does not have much time left to set the country on a new, more productive and hopeful path
Appointees who are clearly not up to their jobs must be removed and be replaced by suitable people. Otherwise the capable state that Ramaphosa seeks to build will remain but a pipe dream - to the detriment of the country and its people.
The challenge, of course, will lie in whether the president will have the courage to forge ahead with his plans even in the teeth of opposition from the many vested interests in his party and its tripartite alliance. Or whether, in the interests of keeping the peace among allies, he will allow paralysis to be his legacy.
In his address, Ramaphosa struck all the right notes. Whether in relation to energy generation (where urgent reform has been slow to come), or the relationship between the government and the private sector, or fighting corruption and reforming state-owned enterprises. Or reshaping and opening up the ICT sector.
Already about halfway through his tenure, Ramaphosa must realise he does not have much time left to set the country on a new, more productive and hopeful path. He dare not squander the remainder of his time as the nation's commander-in-chief.
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