Reactions to SONA

Lusanda Bill
18 June 2014

There were mixed reactions to President Jacob Zuma’s State of the Nation Address. Opposition parties said Zuma failed to provide suggestions of how some of the things he proposed including job creation and growing the economy would happen. 

President Zuma while delivering his first State of the Nation Address of the 5th Democratic Parliament said low levels of investments are a key constraint to economic growth.

Democratic Alliance Leader Helen Zille said President Zuma did not give a clear plan of how he would implement the National Development Plan and many of the things he has undertaken to do such as for example eradicate mud schools was supposed to be done a long time ago.

Economic Freedom Fighter Leader Julius Malema said the President made unrealistic commitments which are the nature of the current government. Malema added that new targets were made replacing the old targets which were not even attained.

African Christian Democratic Party Leader Rev Kenneth Meshoe emphasized that promises have been made many times before and not fulfilled. Meshoe said the President needs to convince us that the promises he has made he will fulfill them.

National Freedom Party Leader Zanele Magwaza-Msibi said the speech was well rounded and he touched on many issues but we expected more to be said on radical economic transformation.

“I really did not expect anything new because he delivered the State of the Nation Address in February so in a few weeks after that I did not expect anything would change. This issue of creating infrastructure is something that he said the last time”. Inkatha Freedom Party Leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi.

Buthelezi said the key thing that President Zuma said in order to create jobs we need to have economic growth.