SONA glossed over critical national issues

While inevitably peppered with self-praise and gloating for some of the accomplishments, SONA 2021 failed to address some of the pressing social, economic and political challenges the country is currently facing. In failing to broach these, the national address consequently failed to provide plans and clear articulation of government’s agenda for tackling these.

Unfortunately, the themes put forward as guiding principles of SONA 2021 at best glossed over pertinent issues currently afflicting the country. These are the COVID-19 pandemic, corruption, national security, a declining economy, rising gender-based violence (GBV), poverty, inequality and high unemployment rates.