Opposition parties, on the other hand, have said they were disappointed, with some going as far as calling his address a “brag speech”.
With the national elections coming up, it is understandable that opposition parties would be anti- the speech and say more needs to be done – but they do make some good points. Zuma spent the majority of the speech taking about the past, what had been achieved and how South Africans should count themselves lucky.
We know that the ANC sacrificed a lot for our freedom. Because of them, and many others, South Africa is indeed a better place. However, we cannot keep looking backwards and thanking Mandela et al. for the past – we need to start thanking them for the future. Instead of Zuma harping on about the past in his address, more focus should have been placed on the future. Yes, he said jobs needed to be created, but how does government plan to do this? Yes, corruption is a problem, but Zuma, at the moment you look as guilty as the rest of them. Why was Nklandla not brought up? This was an opportunity to set the record straight, and it will remain an opportunity missed.
