After rejecting the "treasonous" plea for a meeting from AfriForum and firmly telling US President Donald Trump that South Africa will not be intimidated, President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to respond to a two-day intense debate on his State of the Nation Address (SONA) at 2pm on Thursday.
After delivering his SONA last week, the members of Parliament have been discussing it for the past two days.
Ramaphosa is expected to respond to issues among others Expropriation Act, NHI Act, BELA Act, the SA National Defence Force soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and other international relations matters.
The National Assembly (NA) and National Council of Provinces (NCOP) will meet jointly in Cape Town for the president's response.
The Government of National Unity (GNU) partners glorified Ramaphosa's speech and said it was one of the most powerful speeches he had ever made.
The address even saw the Democratic Alliance (DA) which has criticised Ramaphosa since he was president, clap hands for him.
The DA leader John Steenhusien praised the president's speech.
However, opposition parties like the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) did not buy into Ramaphosa's speech, saying it was all talk with no action.
EFF leader Julius Malema called on Ramaphosa to clarify his plans to ensure South Africa was not bullied by Trump.
MK Party MP Nhlamulo Ndhlela described Ramaphosa SONA as a "failed state of the nothingness address", stating that the promises he made will never be fulfilled.
"President, this is a failed state. We're facing an education crisis. Our schools have become drug dens rather than centers of learning. Infrastructure is crumbling, children are still learning under trees, and we have pit toilets and overcrowded classrooms," he said.
Meanwhile, Ramaphosa is expected to attend the hand-over of the remains of the fallen South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to their families, two weeks after their deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
IOL Politics