{"id":50308,"date":"2026-02-19T05:50:46","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T05:50:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/?p=50308"},"modified":"2026-02-19T05:50:46","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T05:50:46","slug":"notable-successes-promises-2026-sona-debate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/2026\/02\/19\/notable-successes-promises-2026-sona-debate\/","title":{"rendered":"Energy, education and home affairs: A few successes and promises from 2026 Sona debate"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- Africa tv video display -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3579572842\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\">\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<p><h2>Education, energy and home affairs departments celebrated several successes in 2025 and have grand ambitions for 2026.<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The two-day debate on President Cyril Ramaphosa\u2019s 2026 State of the Nation Address has concluded with raucous fervour. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Parliamentarians argued late into Wednesday night as rival parties jeered political opponents through live microphones.<\/p>\n<p>Amid the chaos, several ministers outlined successes in advancing the government of national unity (GNU) agenda of a more functional state.<\/p>\n<p>Energy, education, and administrative advances were highlights, while the Presidency shielded its Commander-in-Chief.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-investment-in-nuclear\">Investment in nuclear<\/h2>\n<p>Deputy Minister for Electricity and Energy Samantha Graham-Mare celebrated the country\u2019s energy security and the expansion of its nuclear power capacity.<\/p>\n<p>The deputy minister stated that the National Nuclear Regulator, the Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa (Necsa) and the National Radioactive Waste Disposal Institute had all begun turning a profit.<\/p>\n<p>She said Necsa had secured R1.2 billion from the National Treasury for a new multipurpose nuclear reactor that would expand isotope production for radiopharmaceuticals.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSouth Africa\u2019s nuclear sector remains a strategic national asset, supporting energy security, advanced science, healthcare, skills development and industrial capacity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTogether with future nuclear build programmes, this positions South Africa to develop a strong pipeline of technical skills and local manufacturing capability able to compete internationally,\u201d said Graham-Mare.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-you-ain-t-seen-nothing-yet\">\u2018You ain\u2019t seen nothing yet\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schrieber boasted about the successes of his department, noting that smart ID wait time had decreased by 66% and that key components of the digital ID system had been implemented.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe track record we have built over the past 20 months is also the reason why I can tell the House today: you ain\u2019t seen nothing yet.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur showpiece reform this year is digital ID. With the core biometric technology already live for the citizenship portal, we now shift our focus to building the frontend user interface,\u201d said Schreiber.<\/p>\n<p>Schrieber said advances in digital ID will streamline interactions between civilians and the government through remote verification.<\/p>\n<p>Biometric data, including facial recognition, will form the foundation of the system, with the minister adding that the benefits would extend to immigration enforcement and tax revenue collection.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Border Management Authority, in collaboration with the South African Revenue Service, is currently expanding facial recognition cameras to all international airports and major land ports,\u201d stated Schrieber.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-improved-ecd\">Improved ECD<\/h3>\n<p>Education minister Siviwe Gwarube stated that the past year had been spent expanding access to quality early childhood development.<\/p>\n<p>Having set a target of 10\u00a0000 newly registered ECD centres for 2025, Gwarube said the department overshot that by 3\u00a0000.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis means over 1.3 million children have access to good nutrition, foundational learning and safe places.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe will not stop until every child has access to an early learning centre where there is a warm meal, structured lesson plans, and safe environments,\u201d said Gwarube.<\/p>\n<p>The goal for 2026, with a budget of R500 million, is to create ECD placements for 100\u00a0000 children in rural areas.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf we get the basics right \u2013 reading, writing, counting, safe schools, supported teachers, and accountable governance \u2013 we will build the human capital that makes growth possible and restores dignity to millions of our people,\u201d Gwarube concluded.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-economics-101\">\u2018Economics 101\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni defended the president from accusations from opponents that little was achieved in 2025.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHonourable Malema was here arguing that we have nothing to show for it. Maybe we need Economics 101, but I am baffled because I also heard Honourable Van Rooyen battling with economic data,\u201d Ntshavheni jabbed.<\/p>\n<p>The minister explained that unemployment was down by half a per cent and that the economy had \u201cwind in the sails\u201d due to a budget surplus that will be used to pay government debt.<\/p>\n<p>She added that illegal immigration had declined, a water crisis plan had been formulated and that 57% of the Zondo Commission action plan had been implemented.<\/p>\n<p>Opponents had criticised Ramaphosa for repeatedly claiming that a high-speed rail line would be built, with the minister coming to the president\u2019s defence again.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHonourable Malema is looking for designs of the speed rail, but there is a separation of powers. You are a legislator, Mushavhi, the blueprints will be with the Executive,\u201d Ntshavheni concluded.<\/p>\n<p><strong>NOW READ: \u2018You might be worse than Zuma\u2019: Unemployment and crime dominate day 2 of Sona debate<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- Africa tv video display -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3579572842\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\">\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n#Energy #education #home #affairs #successes #promises #Sona #debate<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Education, energy and home affairs departments celebrated several successes in 2025 and have grand ambitions for 2026. The two-day debate&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":50309,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mzansi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50308","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50308"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50308\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50310,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50308\/revisions\/50310"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50309"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50308"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50308"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}