From Vision and Promises to Tangible Livelihoods Interventions

United Nations and the Tutu Legacy Foundation urge collaboration and accountability push after SONA as 2030 SDGs deadline looms

For Immediate Release - 17 February 2026

Cape Town – Senior government officials, business leaders, civil society activists, academics, and diplomats gathered at the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation on Friday for the fourth Annual Post-SONA High Tea, convened in partnership with the United Nations in South Africa.

The meeting, soon after President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), focused on a central question: how to translate policy promises into measurable development results, as the 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) approaches and mindful of the National Development Plan and the Midterm Development Plan of the 7th Administration.

With poverty, unemployment, crime and violence, inequality and social exclusion still impacting the wellbeing of millions, speakers affirmed that South Africa’s development challenge is as much about governance and accountability as it is about policy design.

Under the theme “From Vision 2030 for Sustainable Development to Collective Action and Accountability,” participants examined whether planning is impact-oriented and future-proofed and institutions are sufficiently coordinated, transparent and responsive to accelerate SDG implementation.

Janet Jobson, Chief Executive Officer of the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, said reflections on SONA must be grounded in the moral framework championed by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

“Are we protecting the most vulnerable, speaking truth without fear or favour, and building institutions that treat every person with dignity?” she asked. “That is how we move from aspiration to delivery.”

The UN Resident Coordinator in South Africa, Nelson Muffuh, stressed that dialogue must translate into outcomes.

“The goal is to move from discussion to the actual work required to deliver the outcomes expressed in SONA and, most importantly, the Sustainable Development Goals,” he said, adding that oversight, justice and accountability lie “at the heart of efforts to deliver development results.”

This year’s event coincided with the 30th anniversary of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which was chaired by the late Archbishop Tutu. Participants reflected on how the Commission’s principles of truth, justice and reconciliation remain relevant to strengthening institutional integrity and rebuilding public trust.

Professor Thuli Madonsela, former Public Protector and now Law Trust Research Chair in Social Justice at Stellenbosch University, delivered a special address. She urged Parliament and Chapter 9 Institutions to use the Constitution as the benchmark for evaluating government performance.

Madonsela cautioned that economic growth alone cannot be the sole measure of progress. Growth, she warned, can become a “Trojan horse” if it deepens inequality or produces unintended harms for vulnerable communities.

She called for “systems thinking” in policymaking and recommended tools such as Social Justice Impact Assessments to anticipate the social consequences of policy decisions, particularly in relation to poverty, corruption and gender-based violence.

Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Thandi Moraka reflected on South Africa’s leadership role in the G20 and its global standing.

“We pride ourselves in having built a country that is united, that is more non-racial, that is non-sexist, and that reflects the demographics of our population,” she said.

The Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Maropene Ramokgopa, in her keynote address emphasised coordinated action across sectors.

“When government aligns its plans, development partners coordinate their support, business invests with purpose, and civil society anchors our efforts in community realities, those little bits of good become a national force for change,” she said.

With fewer than five years remaining before the 2030 SDG deadline, speakers agreed that the core issue is no longer whether South Africa has the right frameworks in place, but whether institutions can deliver consistently, transparently and at scale.

The UN and the Tutu Legacy Foundation said they would continue to convene the annual Post-SONA dialogue as a platform for cross-sector accountability and partnership.

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Media Contacts:

Eunice Namugwe | UN Information Centre | Tel: +27 71 682 8310 | Email: namugwe@un.org

Solange Nolan | Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation | Tel: +27 63 468 1425 | Email: solange@tutu.org.za

Note to the editors:

The Annual Post-SONA High Tea is held in the immediate wake of the State of the Nation Address (SONA), providing a focused opportunity to move from policy announcement to practical implementation. This year's gathering was the fourth annual convening, with particular emphasis on the quality of governance, accountability and institutional trust required for tangible progress toward the SDGs.

High-resolution photographs from the event: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xYsgz6R9VKXjdavgHzzqYYu9pAn8RN6b?usp=sharing