Durban - No one could fault that president Cyril Ramaphosa wants to turn South Africa around, Inkatha Freedom Party president Mangosuthu Buthelezi said on Thursday night.
He was reacting to Ramaphosa's State of the Nation Address, which concluded in parliament just minutes before.
"The things that are confronting the country he dealt with in such detail," said Buthelezi. But he wanted to see "action", said Buthelezi, and he would be interested to see the budget "in a few days time".
The country's 2019 budget will be delivered by finance minister Tito Mboweni on February 20.
Buthelezi said South Africa was already borrowing money for "housekeeping purposes". He questioned where the money was going to come from for several government initiatives announced by Ramaphosa.
Buthelezi also said that the arrest of former Bosasa chief operations officer Angelo Agrizzi "gave one hope" that "action" would be taken against those who looted from state coffers, instead of government "just verbalising what they want to do".
Agrizzi appeared as a whistle-blower before the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, where he exposed the company's alleged fraudulent activity in garnering massive government contracts. He was arrested this week, along with other Bosasa employees who also appeared before the commission, and was released on bail.