‘Our young people want jobs‚ not jets‚ President Zuma’ – says Maimane
Young South Africans want jobs – not jets‚ Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane said on Saturday‚ adding that the biggest disgrace under President Jacob Zuma’s presidency was that two million more South Africans had joined the ranks of the unemployed.
He announced that the DA had launched an online petition urging Zuma to reverse the decision to procure a new Presidential Jet for his official travel.
“Given our current economic climate and our country’s record high unemployment crisis‚ South Africa cannot afford to spend R4 billion on a luxury jet for the President which he simply does not need.
“President Zuma ought to put the country’s needs ahead of his own wants‚ and reject this frivolous and disproportionate spending while our people continue to suffer and to live without hope‚” Maimane told a youth rally in Khayelitsha‚ Cape Town.
Maimane added that the biggest disgrace under Zuma’s presidency had not been the millions squandered at Nkandla. It was also not the Gupta’s landing at Waterkloof airbase‚ Zuma’s allowing Omar Al-Bashir to escape‚ nor his failure to comply with the Public Protector’s report.
“It’s not his push to sign off on a trillion rand nuclear deal. It’s not the Gupta brothers offering cabinet posts. It’s not even the crash of the rand following Nenegate
“The biggest disgrace is that under President Zuma’s presidency two million more South Africans have joined the ranks of the unemployed‚ and the hope of finding a job for the 8.9 million unemployed South Africans has all but evaporated.
“Moreover‚ there has been a sheer lack of will and an inability to defeat our country’s unemployment crisis‚” Maimane said.
“Yet‚ despite this‚ the ANC government finds it appropriate to announce that President Zuma will be handed a brand new luxury presidential jet – estimated to cost the public R4 billion. This despite the fact that the President’s current jet remains‚ in terms of aircraft standards‚ relatively new and fit for purpose.”
Maimane added that R4 billion could pay for over 606‚000 work opportunities for young South Africans‚ or for supporting 80‚000 new entrepreneurs with a R50‚000 start-up grant for each.
“R4 billion could pay for over 53‚000 full NFSAS bursaries to cover fees‚ accommodation‚ transport and textbooks for young South Africans.
“We unanimously reject this sheer waste of public funds in order to pay for the President’s ‘Nkandla Air’ vanity project.
“We therefore petition President Zuma‚ as the Head of State‚ to reverse the decision to procure a new Presidential Jet for his official travel. Given our current economic climate and our country’s record high unemployment crisis‚ South Africa cannot afford to spend R4 billion on a luxury jet for the President which he simply does not need‚” Maimane stated.
‘Our young people want jobs‚ not jets‚ President Zuma’ – says Maimane
‘Our young people want jobs‚ not jets‚ President Zuma’ – says Maimane
Young South Africans want jobs – not jets‚ Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane said on Saturday‚ adding that the biggest disgrace under President Jacob Zuma’s presidency was that two million more South Africans had joined the ranks of the unemployed.
He announced that the DA had launched an online petition urging Zuma to reverse the decision to procure a new Presidential Jet for his official travel.
“Given our current economic climate and our country’s record high unemployment crisis‚ South Africa cannot afford to spend R4 billion on a luxury jet for the President which he simply does not need.
“President Zuma ought to put the country’s needs ahead of his own wants‚ and reject this frivolous and disproportionate spending while our people continue to suffer and to live without hope‚” Maimane told a youth rally in Khayelitsha‚ Cape Town.
Maimane added that the biggest disgrace under Zuma’s presidency had not been the millions squandered at Nkandla. It was also not the Gupta’s landing at Waterkloof airbase‚ Zuma’s allowing Omar Al-Bashir to escape‚ nor his failure to comply with the Public Protector’s report.
“It’s not his push to sign off on a trillion rand nuclear deal. It’s not the Gupta brothers offering cabinet posts. It’s not even the crash of the rand following Nenegate
“The biggest disgrace is that under President Zuma’s presidency two million more South Africans have joined the ranks of the unemployed‚ and the hope of finding a job for the 8.9 million unemployed South Africans has all but evaporated.
“Moreover‚ there has been a sheer lack of will and an inability to defeat our country’s unemployment crisis‚” Maimane said.
“Yet‚ despite this‚ the ANC government finds it appropriate to announce that President Zuma will be handed a brand new luxury presidential jet – estimated to cost the public R4 billion. This despite the fact that the President’s current jet remains‚ in terms of aircraft standards‚ relatively new and fit for purpose.”
Maimane added that R4 billion could pay for over 606‚000 work opportunities for young South Africans‚ or for supporting 80‚000 new entrepreneurs with a R50‚000 start-up grant for each.
“R4 billion could pay for over 53‚000 full NFSAS bursaries to cover fees‚ accommodation‚ transport and textbooks for young South Africans.
“We unanimously reject this sheer waste of public funds in order to pay for the President’s ‘Nkandla Air’ vanity project.
“We therefore petition President Zuma‚ as the Head of State‚ to reverse the decision to procure a new Presidential Jet for his official travel. Given our current economic climate and our country’s record high unemployment crisis‚ South Africa cannot afford to spend R4 billion on a luxury jet for the President which he simply does not need‚” Maimane stated.
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