Opposition parties have slammed President Cyril Ramaphosa's State of the Nation Address (SoNA) as dull and out of touch with the country.

He delivered his fifth SoNA on Thursday and focused largely on economic recovery, and, as in previous years, spoke tough on corruption.

Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen said Ramaphosa's SoNA was once again a series of unworkable plans rooted in the failed ideology of central command and control.

"South Africa is in deep, deep trouble. We're a bus accelerating towards a cliff. People are suffering terribly and much more suffering is on the horizon. Lives are at stake. The situation is truly urgent. It calls for radical action that goes to the heart of the problem, which is an over-controlling, incapable, unaccountable state," he added.

According to Steenhuisen, Ramaphosa remained a spectator president looking on with dismay as if he had no personal agency to change the "tragic situation" in the country. He said: “He used beautiful words and soothing tones to offer empty promises and impractical plans. He is not steering the ship to calmer waters. It is not even clear he is at the helm. Three crises are crippling South Africa: the Covid crisis, the economic crisis, and our crisis of democracy.”

Inkatha Freedom Party MP and chairperson of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts Mkhuleko Hlengwa said the country needed deliverables.

"It was a rehash. It is quite concerning that he wants to give us more state-owned entities … for us that is of great concern because the state has demonstrated complete inability to govern correctly," he added.

Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Groenewald said there was little evidence of Ramaphosa's achievements.

"He is always talking about infrastructure projects. In 2019, he was bragging about his suit that was locally manufactured, we are still there. All he does is talk of something, he does not do anything," he added.

African Christian Democratic Party leader Kenneth Meshoe said Ramaphosa's speech had delivered little.

"As always, the speech was thin on detail. He always puts the facts that everyone knows on the table. He spoke about our crime problem. Who does not know about that? What are they going to do about it this year? Fighting corruption … we have been hearing that story for very long," he added.

Good secretary-general Brett Herron said: "The ANC is running out of runway. One couldn't but sympathise with the president trying valiantly to find the words in his State of the Nation Address to comfort a country that feels increasingly anxious and fundamentally deflated.