Lerai, Hungani Ndlovu, Lasizwe, Nirvana Nokwe hope the Sona delivers real change for creatives

Some of Mzansi celebrities including Lerai, Lasizwe Dambuza, Hungani Ndlovu, Ayanda Borotho and Nirvana Nokwe share with Sowetan key issues close to their hearts and what they want to hear from President Cyril Ramaphosa's big speech tonight at the 2025 State of the Nation Address (Sona).

Lerai (TV presenter) 

I’m all for this year’s theme: "Harnessing Parliamentary Diplomacy for Realisation of Global Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability". It sounds great, but let’s be real, it’s ambitious. We’ve heard big promises before, like the National Development Plan (NDP), but progress has been slow. The budget allocation for international diplomacy this year doesn’t match the theme’s goals. If the government is serious, it needs to back it up with real steps. Otherwise, it’s just another grand promise. Secondly, we have digital diplomacy. Let’s educate the world.

The misinformation about South Africa’s land reform, especially after Donald Trump’s comments, shows how little the world understands the apartheid legacy. The government has an opportunity here to educate globally on the land reform process, especially with younger audiences. The Expropriation Bill (still under review) could be a tool to showcase responsible land redistribution. Let’s take this to TikTok and make it engaging. If other countries can do it, so can we. It’s time to tell our own story. Foreign policy should be a top priority in 2025, and we need transparency... We can learn from how global powers like the US communicate foreign policy with clarity.”

Hungani Ndlovu (actor)

President Cyril Ramaphosa has never acknowledged the grievances of the cultural and creative Industries. He failed to do so under an ANC administration and we do not doubt that he will fail to do so in his Sona address under the GNU. We have witnessed an alarming increase in incidents of non-payment of cast and technical crew, numerous reports of health and safety violations, criminal complaints of human trafficking, and deteriorating work conditions in an increasingly hostile production environment. But not a word from the president.

His stubborn defiance of the Constitutional Court order of September 2022 to amend parts of the Copyright Act of 1978 that violate the human rights of people with disabilities, is very revealing. In fact, South African creatives generally suspect that President Ramaphosa chose not to sign the Copyright Amendment Bill specifically to reassure American studios, streamers, and broadcasters that their commercial interests in South African film and TV productions remain subject to their monopolies. Actors who are desperate for the statutory right to earn royalties, are only too pleased that our fate lies with a competent authority and not with a bewildered, indifferent, and indecisive president.

Nirvana Nokwe (actor, musician) 

I would love to see a focus on the reduction of gender-based violence to be geared towards the transformation of men from misogynistic thinking and rhetoric to removing the incentives that bolster them in those ideologies. To also simultaneously address the economic imbalances between men and women. Women around the world earn 20% less than men on average.

Women in SA face so much in terms of navigating sexual advances and financial abuses when trying to make money. Make women earn more and educate men on anti-misogyny in all institutions which requires a meeting of minds beyond parliamentary walls. We also need sub-leaders for the different sectors of arts and culture because it’s too vast, too big, too complex to bundle it all into one. Support younger leaders within the space – the thought leaders, the young women who don’t have a big platform, the culture shakers, support them at all cost.”

Lasizwe Dambuza (content creator) 

We need a government that will stop making excuses and fast-track real and sustainable solutions. We can’t be jobless as young talented people, some with degrees, skills and ideas but have little to no opportunities.

Content creation in this country is not taken seriously, other countries get to monetise from their content but not in Africa or SA, why is that? We need a government that will invest in proper youth employment programmes that lead to long term jobs and not temporary grants.

Ayanda Borotho (Actor)

I want to first acknowledging the wins in terms of what I think is progressive, which is the Expropriation Bill. The fact that we're addressing certain things around it is an indication that there is a commitment to do what is right, this issue is how we go about doing it. I'm not entirely happy with where it is now, but I'm hoping that now that it's on the table that there is actual engagement — that there is more that we can do to address the injustices of the past and also the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Act that recognises home languages in schools. 

For me, that's a big one, as you would know, I am passionate about our vernacular and our home languages... it’s a big win that children are now going to be able to to be taught in their mother tongue. This will help them to speak their language freely even at school. I do expect him [Ramaphosa] to be realistic about where we are going as a country because often we get these lofty statements and all these numbers or percentages that people don't really understand. I expect that we address the realities as real as they are because often times these addresses are not palatable for people on the ground.