Zuma addresses the nation
President Jacob Zuma presented the State of the Nation Address (SoNA) to a joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament (National Assembly and National Council of Provinces) on Thursday.
The 2016 theme was: “Following up on our commitments to the people”.
During his speech, Zuma spoke about the government’s achievements of the past year and looked to the future by presenting a programme for the coming year.
This programme sets out government’s plans to address various key government programmes for the year ahead.
Zuma’s speech was as follows (speech has been cut):
“The Constitution, which has its foundation in the Freedom Charter, proclaims that South Africa belongs to all who live in it. A lot has been done to promote inclusion and a non-racial society.
“However, the journey to a non-racial society has not yet been completed.
“The nation was shaken last month when racism reared its ugly head on social and electronic media, causing untold pain and anger.
“There is a need to confront the demon of racism.
“Human Rights Day, March 21, will be commemorated as the national day against racism this year. It will be used to lay the foundation for a long-term programme of building a non-racial society.
“A resilient and fast growing economy is at the heart of our radical economic transformation agenda and our National Development Plan.
“When the economy grows fast it delivers jobs, workers earn wages and businesses make profit.
“The tax base expands and allows government to increase the social wage and provide education, health, social grants, housing and free basic services – faster and in a more sustainable manner.
“Our economy has been facing difficulties since the financial crisis in 2008.
“We embarked on an aggressive infrastructure development programme to stimulate growth.
“Our reality right now is that global growth still remains muted. Financial markets have become volatile. Currencies of emerging markets have become weak and they fluctuate widely.
“The prices of gold, platinum, coal and other minerals that we sell to the rest of the world have dropped significantly and continue to be low.
“Firstly, our country remains an attractive investment destination. It may face challenges, but its positive attributes far outweigh those challenges.
“If there are any disagreements or problems between us, we should solve them before they escalate. This is necessary for the common good of our country.
“We note sadly, as well that 57 police officers have been murdered to date during the 2015/16 financial year. We condemn this criminality strongly.
“We urge the police to defend themselves when attacked, within the confines of the law.
“Let us work together to turn the situation around. It can be done.”
Read the president’s full speech here.
