Visit our special report here
Jobs, education and health; there’s a lot on the agenda this year for President Jacob Zuma as he addresses the country in his annual State of the Nation address. Follow live updates from the Mail & Guardian team for insights into everything from the big policy questions to parliamentarians’ fashion.
This blog auto refreshes.
I realy dont think that President today will be able to address all the issues of this country and also i dont belive that much that he will diliver what most of us south africans we are much hoping for,he has to deal with the issue of health in this country which is in very bed state currently and also the state of educatonn in the country which has gone from bed to worse in years time and also if one can ask what happend to his TTT plan that he introduced last year when he did his annual state of the nation address,our President keeps on makingan empty promises year in and year out.That particular tendency must come to end we must actualy start to see some wods being put to a sirious actoin once and for all. Khotso Mofokeng Soweto
We shall hear more empty promises and words without substance, as usual. The State of the Nation is that the Nation is in quite a State and getting worse.
Thanks for keeping us informed of what everyone is wearing! Obviously that’s the most important issue today!
The parasitic funny farm on display – what a lag !
The state of the nation address is one of our most significant speeches in our country. The address in my view cannot address the country’s underlying problems and cannot for that matter, address all solutions to the problems the country face.
It must however, give us an indication that, the President and his government have full grasp of the problems of our country and the challenges the citizens face. It must further, assure us, that The President and his government have an understanding on how those problems and challenges can be solved.
In my View, SONA must not be like some midnight story, with the main intention to put the country to sleep, with a few unrealistic promises.
The state of the nation address must fully report on the progress on some of the promises in 2011 without it been just a report card. The SONA must go ahead and boldly make ground breaking statements that seek to put the country to work.
Before the President can make his promises for 2012, he must briefly let us in on his total vision of the country, how this vision has progressed. We will be closely observing if SONA has within its Soul some of the expressions and goals of the planning commission.
In my view, the greatest achievement of the SONA will be some guts, boldness and chutzpa in instilling the sense of nation wood among South Africans. It would succeed it can boldly call for the culture change within our citizens cutting across class, the culture of selflessness contribution to our country.
If the president can call for less extravagance among the elite, call for all to stand up and do something for the country and for those who are already doing something to benchmark themselves among the best in the world.
If from this SONA South Africans can be inspired to build a country that would compete with the best in the world, the best being USA, China, and European countries and maybe be even better than these countries in terms of its moral and economic supremacy.
Greatness begins from consciousness, and this consciousness can begin with this SONA. South Africans in general are consumption conscious and not selfless contribution conscious. We are more of what’s in it for me than, how is my country benefiting from me and my actions. This is the greatest root of corruption, cultural crisis. The government in itself can never be able to succeed in fighting corruption, but government can succeed in planting a culture that will give birth to the society that just can’t tolerate corruption and the corrupt.
I therefore wish for the following in the SONA:
1. PROGRESS ON THE SONA 2011 PROMISES
A country which can’t keep promises, it’s a country that can’t be trusted and I hope that, the president will address some of the concerns from DA in parliament pertaining the unfulfilled promises. The DA released a statement that identified ten key broken promises which the President has not kept in 2011. The President must address any broken promise made.
We also need to know the progress on R9 billion 3 year Job fund, as next year is its last year, what was its impact so far?
In 2011, the President identified six priority areas where jobs can be created and that is infrastructure development, agriculture, mining, and beneficiation, manufacturing, the green economy and tourism. The President must advise us if indeed this priority areas did deliver and if not, what needs to be done, or what other job creation areas where overlooked and are now going to be fully exploited. In 2011 the President announced that, government will spend R2,6 billion in Limpopo, KZN and Eastern Cape on water services and this was to be done in 2011, was it done, if not, where is the money? Can that money be used to achieve the same goal this year?
One of the most important promises for me was that, Students in further education and training colleges who qualify for financial aid will be exempt from paying fees. Was this promise implemented? And how are the outcomes.
The President further promised to revitalise 105 nursing colleges country wide, to train more nurses. How many of the colleges were revitalised and how many nursing students were trained?
One other thing is that, the year ahead must be lived as per spirit of the SONA, one of the most disappointing acts of the President of the country and the ruling party elite was that, after the 2011 SONA which had assured the courts and the media space to function, attacked both the courts and the media against the spirit of the SONA. In the SONA, the President said: Our courts continue to function better. But in the course of 2011 after the SONA, he indicated that, Courts were playing ball with the opposition implying that, the courts were untie the ruling party, these stance was repeated by the Secretary general of the ANC.
It is important that, the President makes promises that he has both the Capacity and the Ability to achieve.
2. THE PRESIDENT MUST SET THE TONE FOR THE FUTURE OF SOUTH AFRICA
I would be encouraged if the President remained unapologetic about the future of SA, in relation to its people, SADC, Africa and the World.
It must be clear that, South Africa has within its plan, to lead Africa to economic supremacy. South Africa must indicate and announces its plan not only to be the super power in Africa, but the World’s economic super power.
A bold and unapologetic statement about this particular goal must be made and all South Africans must elevate their thinking to the level of that statement. It was important that South Africa used this goal arrogantly to rally the entire South Africa across race, gender and class behind this goal.
Without a public commitment to this effect, it was impossible for South Africans to be conscious of their duty to measure themselves against the best in the world and resolve to always come tops.
Once this is clarified the President can set to South Africa what South Africa expect from a South African at par with this vision in 2012, and goals to be achieved in 2012 can be set in alignment to this goal.
Extravagance by the elite must be discouraged and selfless service must be emphasized. It must be made clear that, all South Africans regardless of their economic situation, had a duty to contribute to make South Africa the leading country in the world.
3. RE-EMPHISES VALUES THAT MADE THE STRUGGLE FOR APARTHEID A SUCCESS
It was crucial that, the values that drove those who were involved in the struggle are emphasised and the adoption of some of this values by post-apartheid South Africa encouraged. The New values in alignment to our current challenges must be articulated.
4. THE PRESIDENT MUST ASSURE US THAT HE UNDERSTANDS SOUTH AFRICA AND ITS PEOPLE
I have come to be impressed by The President of ANC’s indication that, he understand the ANC and has his finger at every pulse of the ANC.
I’m not yet convinced that, the President of the country understand the country and its people and I’m not convinced that, The President of the country has his finger on every pulse of the country.
What I hope this SONA will achieve is that, it would expose the President as someone who understand South Africa and its people. He must assure us that he knows both the opportunities and challenges that South Africans and South Africa faces in business, socially, in education, health, economy etc., the aspirations and frustrations of South Africans.
Most importantly, does the President know what his role is in a complex country like South Africa; does he know the roles of all the players of our constitutional democracy?
Good Luck, President
Regards
Sefu Sekgala, President, Association of Self Sustainable Communities (ASC)
Thanx Mr PRESIDENT ONCE AGAIN YOU REALLY OUT DONE YURSELF…..
thank u my president for uplifting the coutry as whole
…didn’t you mean ” ass hole” instead of as whole?