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SONA 2014: Zuma speech 'was like gas out of the bottle'

President Jacob Zuma seemed "muted" during his state-of-the-nation address on Tuesday, Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Mulder said.

"I experienced the president as muted a bit," Mulder said after the address in Parliament.

"[It was like] gas out of the bottle."

Some positives which came out of Zuma's address were infrastructure and corruption, Mulder said.

"Government's job is to create infrastructure... we need that for economic growth."

Mulder welcomed the announcement that officials would not be allowed to do business with government.

However, nothing was mentioned about how to prevent a repeat of the five-month platinum mining sector strike.

'Zuma is living in one space while South Africans are living in a very difficult space' -Mmusi Maimane

President Jacob Zuma was responding too late to some of the country's problems, Democratic Alliance parliamentary leader Mmusi Maimane said on Tuesday.

"I'm concerned that President Zuma is living in one space while South Africans are living in very, very difficult space," Maimane said after Zuma's state-of-the-nation address in Parliament.

"The president had the opportunity to bring strong ideas, some very bold steps, and I didn't see that forthcoming."

Maimane said Zuma mentioned some of the things the DA had called for for years and his response was "a bit too late".

He said Zuma quoted initiatives from the National Development Plan and said it would take courage to implement these goals.

Zuma should have acted earlier and allowed legislation to help with energy procurement, he said.

"There could have been a lot more that the president could have done decisively and boldly; and I felt like he did not do that."

'Zuma not moving the country in a better direction' - Alton Mpheti

There was nothing new in President Jacob Zuma's state-of-the-nation address, Pan Africanist Congress leader Alton Mpheti said on Tuesday.

"What the president said is what he said in the last state-of-the-nation," Mpheti said after the address in Parliament.

"There are no improvements."

He said Zuma had reduced the number of jobs promised and brought up the issue of land claims again, but with no real solution.

"He didn't do half the claims [promised]. I don't know where he is taking us."

He said Zuma was not moving the country in a better direction.

Zuma's speech 'adequate' - Mkhize

"The speech was adequately detailed. He focused on the main things," he said after Zuma's address in Parliament.

President Jacob Zuma has adequately detailed the main areas of focus for the next five years in his state-of-the-nation address, ANC treasurer general Zweli Mkhize said on Tuesday night.

"The speech was adequately detailed. He focused on the main things," he said after Zuma's address in Parliament.

Mkhize said Zuma focused on economic growth, rebuilding local government, and the unrest in the mining industry.

"He spoke about getting involved to stabilise the labour front, and on getting more investments," said Mkhize.

"He spoke of rebuilding local government where there is corruption. The speech has taken care of all of this."

Asked why Zuma did not mention Marikana, Mkhize said he had already addressed it in the past and that it was one of many areas of concern.

'Zuma speech full of promises but lacking in substance' - Meshoe

On Zuma's comments regarding the mining industry, he said: "I'm not sure whether that is going to make an impact because promises have been made many times before."

President Jacob Zuma's state-of-the-nation address was full of promises but lacking in substance, African Christian Democratic Party leader Reverend Kenneth Meshoe said on Tuesday evening.

On Zuma's comments regarding the mining industry, he said: "I'm not sure whether that is going to make an impact because promises have been made many times before."

In his speech, Zuma "repeated a number of promises he has made before".

Zuma needed to convince the public that government could deliver on such promises, but its track record indicated this was unlikely, Meshoe said.

Regarding Zuma's words on support for municipalities, Meshoe said a plan of action was needed rather than "support, support, support."

"Support means throwing money at the problem."

SONA 2014: 'He talks about radical transformation but we didn't hear anything radical in the speech'

President Jacob Zuma's state-of-the-nation on Tuesday was once again underwhelming, United Democratic Movement chief whip Nqabayomzi Kwankwa said.

"I think the entire speech was an underwhelming list of promises once more," Kwankwa said after the address in Parliament.

"He talks about radical transformation but we didn't hear anything radical in the speech."

He criticised Zuma for speaking about a minimum wage, saying this was opposite to a call for radical transformation.

He complimented Zuma on his focus on energy and on incentives for the youth.

However, Kwankwa said more work needed to be done in internships for the youth, making sure they did not just "make photocopies and then leave".

SONA 2014: ANC clapping hands for mediocrity says Malema

"There is nothing exciting except a blowing of hot air and a repetition of the things that we have heard before," Malema said after the state-of-the-nation address in which Zuma said the minister of labour was investigating minimum wages.

African National Congress members were clapping for mediocrity during President Jacob Zuma's state-of-the-nation address in Parliament on Tuesday, Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema said.

"There is nothing exciting except a blowing of hot air and a repetition of the things that we have heard before," Malema said after the state-of-the-nation address in which Zuma said the minister of labour was investigating minimum wages.

"Sometimes [Zuma is] playing the gallery and not really meaning what he is saying."

During his address Zuma spoke about improving the housing and living conditions of miners, but Malema said that was what was written in the mining charter.

Malema said Zuma was "plagiarising" the mining charter.

"And the ANC people clap hands to mediocrity. He is plagiarising the mining charter," he said.

The mining industry, including government, had failed the mining charter, he said.

SONA 2014: 'Things are going down. We have been downgraded. There is no prospect in future of getting better'

The Inkatha Freedom Party was not satisfied with President Jacob Zuma's state-of-the-nation address because it lacked clarity, party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi said on Tuesday night.

"No, I was not satisfied," he said after Zuma's address at Parliament.

"He said the right things but he disclosed that economic growth is very low."

Buthelezi said Zuma had suggested that South Africa was not conducive to foreign investment because of corruption and crime.

"Things are going down. We have been downgraded. There is no prospect in future of getting better," he said.

Buthelezi was referring to decisions by ratings agencies last week to downgrade South Africa's outlook.

The Fitch ratings agency revised the country's outlook from stable to negative, while Standard and Poor's lowered South Africa's long-term foreign currency credit rating by one notch, to BBB- from BBB.

 

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