Chapter 6 – The Second Address to the Nation
The Second
Address to the Nation, delivered on 15 December 2026, was the most
widely watched broadcast in South Africa’s modern history. By then, the shock
of the September Intervention had faded into a cautious acceptance. Ordinary
citizens, though still wary of the Council’s extraordinary powers, could not
deny that the streets were safer, electricity supply steadier, and salaries
once again being paid on time.
Dr Harvey
Jacobs appeared before the cameras in the same understated style that had
come to define his leadership — no uniform, no medals, only a dark suit and the
national flag behind him. Beside him stood Minister Sakena Moloketsi,
the embodiment of justice and reform. Together they would announce the
government’s next phase: stability through justice and work.
The Address
“Fellow
South Africans,” Jacobs began, his voice steady and deliberate,
“Three months ago, we took a step that no one desired but everyone knew was
inevitable. We acted because your country had reached the edge of collapse.
Today, I stand before you to report that South Africa is still standing — and
beginning, at last, to walk forward.”
He outlined
the Council’s accomplishments: the end of rampant cable theft, the dismantling
of criminal syndicates, and the stabilisation of the banking system. He then
moved to the subject that most citizens cared about — jobs.
“Our
greatest wealth has always been our people. Yet for too long, millions of
able-bodied men and women have been idle while our roads crumble and our towns
decay. We are changing that. The new policy of development finance allows us to
fund work — real work — not through debt to foreign banks, but through the
strength of our own hands and hearts. This is not reckless spending; it is
purposeful investment. We are creating money that builds, not money that
burns.”
Jacobs
explained debt monetisation in the simplest possible terms:
“When we
build a bridge, a school, or a clinic, we create something of value that
strengthens our nation. The currency that pays for that work is backed by the
asset itself — by the bridge, the school, the clinic. That is how a sovereign
country uses its own strength to rebuild.”
He
described the early results: over a million people employed in public works and
construction, new contracts for local manufacturers, and the reopening of
training colleges. Inflation, he said, remained under control because “we are
increasing the number of goods and services at the same time as the number of
rands in circulation.”
“Every
worker who earns an income buys food from a farmer, clothes from a factory, and
transport from a driver. That money circulates and multiplies. That is how an
economy heals itself — not from the top down, but from the ground up.”
He paused,
letting the words settle.
Then he addressed the principle that underpinned the Council’s philosophy: rights
and obligations.
“Every
citizen has the right to safety, to food, to work, to dignity. But every
citizen also has the obligation to respect the law, to protect the vulnerable,
and to contribute to the rebuilding of our nation. Freedom without
responsibility is an empty slogan. We must prove, by our actions, that we
deserve the freedom we claim.”
Jacobs then
turned to the topic of law and order, inviting Minister Sakena
Moloketsi to speak.
Minister Moloketsi’s Statement
Moloketsi’s
address was calm but firm, her tone that of a jurist addressing a courtroom
rather than a crowd.
“My fellow
citizens,” she said, “for years you have lived in fear — fear of crime, of
corruption, of being failed by those sworn to protect you. That time is
ending.”
She
outlined the extensive reform of the police and justice system.
Thousands of officers had been vetted; hundreds dismissed or prosecuted for
corruption. Training academies were reopened to instill professionalism and
respect for human rights.
“We are
purging the service of the bad and honouring the good. The police of the new
South Africa will not be feared; they will be trusted.”
She
described new special courts created to expedite cases and end the
endless cycle of appeals that had clogged the justice system. The suspension of
appeal rights, she explained, was temporary but necessary to restore speed and
certainty.
“Justice
delayed,” she said, “is justice denied. For too long, criminals have mocked the
system by appealing again and again while their victims wait for years. That
ends now.”
Moloketsi
then addressed gangs, syndicates, and organised crime. Operations across
the country had seized illegal firearms, shut down drug laboratories, and
broken extortion networks. Dozens of ringleaders were under arrest.
“But
policing alone cannot save us,” she continued. “Safety is everyone’s
responsibility. If you know of criminal activity, report it. Do not buy stolen
goods. Every rand spent on stolen copper, every drop of fuel from a hijacked
truck, helps destroy your own community. We are asking you to take back your
streets, your homes, your future.”
Finally,
she spoke with passion about Gender-Based Violence and the protection of
the vulnerable. New legislation, drafted under her supervision, established
special courts for GBV cases and guaranteed psychological and medical support
for survivors.
“A society
is measured not by how it treats the powerful, but by how it protects those who
cannot protect themselves,” she declared. “We will no longer tolerate the
culture of silence and impunity.”
Closing Remarks
When
Moloketsi finished, Jacobs returned to the podium. His closing words were
concise, resolute, and hopeful:
“We are not
the masters of South Africa — we are its servants. The Council has no desire to
rule forever. We exist only to repair what was broken and to hand back a nation
stronger than before. But until that day, we ask for your cooperation, your
discipline, and your trust. Together, we are proving that freedom and order can
coexist — that law can be both firm and fair, and that justice can walk hand in
hand with compassion.”
He ended
with a line that would be replayed countless times in the years ahead:
“The law
protects the people, and the people protect the law.”
The
broadcast concluded with the national flag displayed against the rising sun
over Pretoria, a symbolic image that would soon become emblematic of the Reconstruction
Period.
Public
reaction was overwhelmingly positive. Communities reported a renewed sense of
confidence; crime rates fell further; and, for the first time in years,
optimism began to replace cynicism. The address was widely seen as the moment
when the Council’s rule shifted from provisional to purposeful — when the
revolution ceased to be merely an act of rescue and became an act of
rebuilding.
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