Message to Zuma: Promises are not enough
PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma has a lot of accounting to do in his State of the Nation Address today. Anything short of explaining the causes of the government's failure to deliver on promises, and a way past those barriers, will not be enough.
Some of the undertakings he gave in past addresses had proved to be damp squibs or fell far short of expectations.
Job creation, health, rural areas, education, crime and corruption stick out like a sore thumb.
Little has been done to mitigate his case.
For instance, the president told us about the "Triple T" in the 2011 Address when he said: "We reiterate our call that teachers must be at school, in class, on time, teaching for at least seven hours a day.
"The administration must ensure that every child has a textbook on time, and that we assist our teachers to create that right working environment for quality teaching to take place."
This undertaking is already at the mercy of the militant South African Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu).
In Eastern Cape schooling is now being compromised by a stand-off between the union and government over department HOD Modidima Mannye.
Cosatu seems to think the grievances against Mannye are so untenable that it has not been able to convince the teachers to return to class.
Cosatu also plans the mother of all strikes over labour brokers and toll roads.
"Not a single shop must open and we must ensure that there is no clinic that is open and hospitals must come to a standstill," the federation's secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi, told provincial shop stewards on Tuesday.
This can't be in line with Zuma's wishes.
Like our lack of facilities and shortage of qualified staff at schools, our healthcare is ailing despite the good intentions of Minister Aaron Motsoaledi.
At Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto, the biggest such facility in the southern hemisphere, still-births go on occurring because of the shortage of staff. The same goes for all government facilities, especially those initially designed to serve underprivileged communities.
The less said about job creation the better.
People of Sweetwaters, south of Johannesburg, are still waiting, nearly three years after the president promised them houses, sanitation - basic necessities.
And, horror of horrors, we still have government officials and employees who are in it purely to eat from the public purse.
Clearly, promises are not enough. Hopefully, Zuma realises this - and acts to give his government a tinge of respectability.
Dinamanama
First he must apologise on behalf of the goverment for failing the people who voted,service delivery is still in the snail pace,corruption is out of control and job creation is not happening.Unemployment rate is very high,people are losing jobs everyday,next week it will be Julias and Floyd who will join this list.I think its time for Zuma to get out of the shower,zip his pants and start getting his hands dirty.
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RobinH
I can't wait for tonight's extravagant circus of deceit. It is going to be priceless to watch the man try and articulate his inability to form coherent policy and to try and either avoid the issue or actually defend the rampant cronyism, defiance of constitutional rights and blatant corruption of his coterie. And of course the world waits for a silly little dance step with bated breath.... maybe we will even be treated to his dulcet tones attempting a song. It's all showbiz, people. Pure showbiz. A whole R6 mil's worth!Report Abuse
1tsotsi
RobinHI can't wait for tonight's extravagant circus of deceit. It is going to be priceless to watch the man try and articulate his inability to form coherent policy and to try and either avoid the issue or actually defend the rampant cronyism, defiance of constitutional rights and blatant corruption of his coterie. And of course the world waits for a silly little dance step with bated breath.... maybe we will even be treated to his dulcet tones attempting a song. It's all showbiz, people. Pure showbiz. A whole R6 mil's worth!
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I coudnt have said it better myself, he has become an old record with a scratch. There's nothing he can tell the nation coz he has done nothing.
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BaleliM
RobinHI can't wait for tonight's extravagant circus of deceit. It is going to be priceless to watch the man try and articulate his inability to form coherent policy and to try and either avoid the issue or actually defend the rampant cronyism, defiance of constitutional rights and blatant corruption of his coterie. And of course the world waits for a silly little dance step with bated breath.... maybe we will even be treated to his dulcet tones attempting a song. It's all showbiz, people. Pure showbiz. A whole R6 mil's worth!
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and to sum it all, he will fix his glasses with the middle finger. priceless i tell you.
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TheNewFreedomFighter
Zuma has got rid of his enemy, Malema, but Zuma can't get rid of his enemy, his self. If S. Arficans want progress and prosperity into the future they have to vote the ANC out. The glorious liberation movement has become the glorious failure.I fear however that the masses will listen tonight knowing that the ANC has failed them but when they hear Zuma's voice all will be forgotten because he will invoke the memories of the struggle against apartheid and they will all raise their clenched hands in remembrance; and anger and hatred will well up in their hot heads; and they will sing and chant and dance struggle songs; and tomorrow the vast majority of them will go back to their abject poverty, shacks and empty food plates while Zuma luxuartes with some woman in the shower.
Remember: On Black Tuesday 2011 the ANC government became a fascist regime.
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RobinH
tsotsi and Baleli: Hi there. If the consequences of his comedic behaviour weren't so tragic I would collapse laughing most of the time he is on camera. And yes, Baleli,,,, the specs shift just before he of so endearingly crunches up his cute li'l n o s e. (And here's a chuckle: The word "N O S E" is vulgar according to our darling moderator)Report Abuse
SeshegoGuY
I just hope he read the speech well, it is such a pain hearing him read out anything..Report Abuse