09 February 2010

On Thursday, President Jacob Zuma will deliver his second State of the Nation address and the South African Democratic Students Organisation (SADESMO) waits with great anticipation for the President to make truthful and realistic pronouncements.

Today SADESMO National Spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa said: "President Zuma has on his shoulders the mammoth task of steering away from a populist State of the Nation and actually paint the real picture; as SADESMO we expect the President to be honest about the issues."

With employment at 24,9%, and the majority of those unemployed being young people, the President owes South Africans an explanation as to why his government failed to meet its target of creating 500 000 jobs as per the June 2009 State of the Nation.

Hlengwa noted: "South Africans need answers from the President; the honeymoon stage is long over. Okuseqinisweni uZuma wakhuluma amanga ngonyaka odlule, nokho kulonyaka asikulindele lokho."

The dismal 2009 matric results should prompt the President to make bold and decisive statements on how his administration will remedy the crisis in the education system.

"The reality of the matter is that should government fail to speedily deal with the challenges in education, our education system will end up in ICU.

Part of the reason why unemployment is so depressingly high is because our education system is neither holistic nor synchronised and this mismatch has forced government to import the lacking skills, knowledge and expertise," Hlengwa said.

"Education must remain a top priority, and must be made easily and readily available to all. We maintain that education is a right and not a privilege; therefore its quality should not and must not be compromised," Hlengwa added.

The HIV/Aids pandemic remains as one of our country's gravest challenges, requiring bold leadership if we have any hope of winning the war.

"SADESMO is very concerned by the revelations of the past week or so, regarding the Presidents extra- marital affairs. Unfortunately the apology in this regard doesn't carry any weight considering that it is the second apology in less than three years. Zuma has failed outright to inspire morality and the ABC Campaign has been obliterated. Zuma should use the State of the Nation Address to make a solemn promise to the Nation that he will behave in a manner befitting a President. Should the President repeat this rotten behaviour we will have no choice but effectively conclude that 'you cannot teach an old dog new tricks'" Hlengwa said.

In the words of IFP President Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, SADESMO "would like to hear more details from the President on how the government intends to keep its laudatory promise to end the culture of dependency and encourage self-reliance."

Issued for SADESMO by:

Mkhuleko "Leko" Hlengwa

SADESMO National Spokesperson

083 871 2711/ 0731667 904