The President on Friday spoke of a strong and a vibrant nation invigorated with hope and promise. A country reborn. A country that is striving, day by day, to leave the divisions and discord of yesterday behind us. A country that has taken its place in the family of nations and is respected as an African continental leader.

The picture the President painted was one which, I think, we all recognise, support and promote.

The President also drew attention to South Africa's solid market fundamentals and bullish economic outlook with growth edging towards four percent. Macro economic stability has been achieved.

Parts of the economy have been liberalised. Some economic sectors have become more competitive. These are the major achievements. The IFP as a constructive opposition acknowledges the government's role in helping to create this virtuous framework.

We urge government however to quicken the pace of change and economic liberalisation, if we are to compete successfully in the global economy. This is not the time to be complacent or go wobbly.

Economic growth remains low compared to other developmental states and is lower than the government's own stated aspirations. Most alarming, entrants to the labour market are growing three times faster than the economy is able to create jobs.

We are, in many ways, experiencing what some economist's have described as jobless growth.

And paradoxically, it is the crippling rigidity of the labour market legislation, which was designed to protect workers, which makes it onerous for work seekers to gain access to the labour market.

The Expanded Public Works Programme, no matter how laudatory, cannot be an economic panacea or a solution to create sustainable employment. Despite an investment of R1.5 billion rands, only 76, 000 jobs have been created and these are only short-term for three to six months.

In order to create jobs, government must do more to attract foreign direct investment, which is lagging behind other developmental states, as well as increase internal investment. Investors are concerned about the impact of HIV/Aids upon our workforce.

We therefore urge companies to follow the example of Anglo-American, which as over the last two years implemented extensive voluntary counselling and testing for HIV infection, coupled with anti-retroviral therapy for employees progressing to Aids.

Investors have also expressed concern over the implementation of Black Economic Empowerment.

The IFP fully supports the principle of BEE, but calls upon government to give opportunities to companies that comply with social transformation requirements and on their ability to add commercial value to the business. Potential conflicts of interests must be avoided at all times.

The reluctance of government to develop standard anti-trust and pro-competition legislation to break the grip of our private and public cartels and monopolies on our economy is also a concern.

Indeed, these negative factors are ominous clouds on the horizon which could, if unchecked, could compromise our long-term political and social stability.

We would, nevertheless, like to commend President Mbeki for his candour in acknowledging that the government has fallen short in its endeavour to create one million jobs and in meeting its own service-delivery targets, which the President gave in his State-of-the-Nation Address last year.

The IFP believes that as Parliament must exercise a greater public policy oversight role over the Executive, it is equally important that government itself is accountable in this forum. I commend the President for taking the lead in this regard. We look forward to hearing the Minister's explain how and why they have failed to live up to the President's targets.

I must strike a cautionary note and say that it is vital to our public discourse and national stability that the ruling-party does not make promises that it cannot realistically fulfil. The ANC campaigned on the basis that it would create one million jobs and laid out ambitious proposals to provide housing, improved transport and basic services.

In making promises that are difficult to keep, we must be careful not to create a culture of entitlement and dependency. The state has limited resources and capacity. Real transformation is brought about by a community driven from the bottom up approach. It is vital that we give people a hand up, not a hand down, and equip them with the life skills of self-help and self-reliance.

Madam Speaker, we were encouraged by the President's condemnation of the constitution charade in Togo and his upholding of the tenants of good governance and transparency, enshrined in NEPAD, across the African continent.

We must be vigilant in defending democracy and the rule-of-law at home and abroad at all times. We are particularly mindful at this time of the people of Zimbabwe who soon go to the polls. The question which must be posed is: what have we done pertaining to Zimbabwe and is that the best we can do. Is there not more, we can do as a great nation?

I, for one, believe that with our expertise in conflict resolution and nation building we have much to offer our African sister nations where strife prevails, and other conflict spots, such as the Middle East.

Madam Speaker, we have achieved much. In many ways the next decade will be more difficult than the last as the imperatives of nation building and reconciliation give way to the pursuit of progress and prosperity for all, not just an elite few.

I believe we will achieve this by building healthy partnerships. Partnerships between government and society. And partnerships between the individual and the community.