Jacob Zuma

“ We will intensify efforts to promote the interests of South Africa globally. We will support efforts to speed up the political and economic integration of the SADC region, and promote intra-regional trade and investment. South Africa continues to play a leading role in continental efforts to strengthen the African Union and its organs, and to work for unity. We will focus energy on revitalising the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, as a strategy for economic development on the continent. ”

“ We are working hard to ensure that everyone in South Africa feels safe and is safe. We will take further our work to reduce serious and violent crimes, and ensure that the justice system works efficiently. We are implementing plans to increase the number of policemen and women by 10% over the next three years. We have identified the fight against hijacking, business and house robberies, as well as contact crimes such as murder, rape and assault, as top priorities. We all have a role to play. Let us participate in community safety forums. ”

“ We are grateful for the spirit of family, community and voluntary work that inspires many people to help those most affected by the crisis, through these difficult times.
Honourable members,
Economic indicators suggest that we are now turning the corner. Economic activity is rising in South Africa, and we expect growth going forward. The labour statistics released on Tuesday, show that the economy is now creating jobs rather than shedding them. ”

“ We need to invest in our youth to ensure a skilled and capable workforce to support growth and job creation.
We therefore plan to increase the training of 16-25 year olds in further education and training facilities. This will enable us to provide a second chance at education, for those who do not qualify for university. We are working with higher education institutions to ensure that eligible students obtain financial assistance, through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme. ”

“ Underpinning our strategy for economic recovery and growth, is our capital investment programme.
Over the next three years, government will spend R846 billion on public infrastructure. On transport, we will maintain and expand our road network. We will ensure that our rail network is reliable, competitive and better integrated with our sea ports. To ensure reliable power supply, we have established an Inter-Ministerial Committee on Energy, to develop a 20-year integrated resource plan. ”

“ We require excellence and hard work. We need public servants who are dedicated, capable and who care for the needs of citizens. Government is already working on the development and implementation of a public service development programme, which will set the norms and standards for public servants in all spheres. ”

“ The crisis cost our economy about 900 000 jobs. Many of those who lost their jobs were the breadwinners in poor families.
In February last year, government, business, labour and community representatives agreed on a package of measures to reduce the scale and impact of the crisis. We have put many of these measures in place. We have implemented decisive anti-recession spending by government, especially on infrastructure. To ensure a safety cushion for the poor, we brought social grant increases forward, and extended the Child-Support Grant to children over 14 years of age. ”

“ To ensure the promotion of an inclusive economy, to aid growth and development, we have established the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Advisory Council, chaired by the President.
The most urgent focus of policy change must be interventions to create jobs for young people. Unemployment rates for young people are substantially higher than the average. ”

“ Another key outcome is to ensure a long and healthy life for all South Africans. We will continue to improve our healthcare system. This includes building and upgrading hospitals and clinics, and further improving the working conditions of healthcare workers. We have partnered with the Development Bank of Southern Africa to improve the functionality of public hospitals and their district offices. We are also collaborating with the DBSA and the Industrial Development Corporation, in a public-private partnership programme to improve hospitals and provide finance for projects. ”

“ In November this year, we will mark the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Indians in South Africa. It provides an opportunity to recognise the important contribution of the Indian community in the fields of labour, business, science, sport, religion, arts, culture and the achievement and consolidation of our democracy. ”

“ In addition, we will work to improve the effectiveness of local government, infrastructure development and human settlements. We will undertake a number of key activities towards the achievement of these outcomes.
We have placed education and skills development at the centre of this government’s policies. In our 2010 programme, we want to improve the ability of our children to read, write and count in the foundation years. Unless we do this, we will not improve the quality of education. Our education targets are simple but critical. ”

“ During this year of action, let us work together to make local government everybody’s business. We are working to upgrade well-located informal settlements and provide proper service and land tenure to at least 500 000 households by 2014. We plan to set aside over 6 000 hectares of well-located public land for low-income and affordable housing. ”

“ After the Balfour visit, we sent a nine-member ministerial team to visit the area to address the issues that had been raised by the community. A number of issues have already received attention. I have directed the ministers to attend to the outstanding matters. We reiterate that there are no grievances that can justify violence and the destruction of property. We have directed law-enforcement agencies to take a tougher stance on lawlessness in Balfour and other areas. In December 2009, Cabinet approved a turnaround strategy for local government. ”

“ As you are aware, we introduced the Presidential Hotline to make government and The Presidency more accessible to the public, and to help unblock service-delivery blockages. The hotline represents our determination to do things differently in government. It has made a difference in the lives of many South Africans. ”

“ A key new initiative will be to accommodate people whose salaries are too high to get government subsidies, but who earn too little to qualify for a normal bank mortgage. We will set up a guarantee fund of R1 billion to incentivise the private banking and housing sector, to develop new products to meet this housing demand. ”

“ The Industrial Development Corporation has put aside R6 billion to help companies in distress. Government introduced a “training lay-off scheme” to allow workers the option of a period of training instead of retrenchment. These efforts were enhanced by our Public Works Programme.
The nation will recall that during the 2009 State of the Nation Address, I announced that the Expanded Public Works Programme would create 500 000 work opportunities by December 2009.
These are job opportunities created to provide unemployed people with an income, work experience and training opportunities. ”

“ We want learners and teachers to be in school, in class, on time, learning and teaching for seven hours a day.
We will assist teachers by providing detailed daily lesson plans. To students, we will provide easy-to-use workbooks in all 11 languages. From this year onwards, all grade 3, 6 and 9 students will write literacy and numeracy tests that are independently moderated. We aim to increase the pass rate for these tests from the current average of between 35 and 40% to at least 60% by 2014. Results will be sent to parents to track progress. ”

“ We have also set ambitious targets for skills development, to produce additional engineers and technicians, and to increase the number of qualified Mathematics and Science teachers. We must also increase the number of youth who enter learnerships in the private and public sectors. ”

“ We must confront the fact that life expectancy at birth, has dropped from 60 years in 1994 to just below 50 years today. We are therefore making interventions to lower maternal mortality rates, to reduce new HIV infections and to effectively treat HIV and tuberculosis. We will also reduce infant mortality through the massive immunisation programme. ”

“ We called a joint sitting in the evening so that the majority in our country, workers and schoolchildren, can be part of the occasion. We are impressed by the enthusiasm of the youth about the occasion. Two hundred and sixty six children from all provinces participated in the pre-State of the Nation debate on the role of the youth in the fight against poverty. ”

“ Although it does not go as far as required, it is an important step forward as it commits all countries to respond to climate change. We will work harder with our international counterparts towards a legally binding treaty. As South Africa, we have voluntarily committed ourselves to specific emission-reduction targets, and will continue working on our long-term climate change mitigation strategy. ”

“ In this regard, we launched the first pilot site of the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme in Giyani, Limpopo, in August last year. Since then, 231 houses have been built. Progress has also been made in providing infrastructure to support agricultural development, and training for community members. Access to health and education facilities has improved. ”

“ The infrastructure, security and logistics arrangements are in place to ensure a successful tournament. As a nation, we owe a debt of gratitude to the 2010 Local Organising Committee for their sterling effort. ”