Sunday Times online (8/2/2008) — 02/08/2008 Mbeki’s Apex Priorities in next-to-last State of the Nation address (They will not exactly cause the nation to tremble with anticipation - ed). ZILLE: MBEKI FAILS AGAIN TO CONFRONT REALITIES South African Press Association Sunday Times online ( Nobody held accountable for energy crisis There was nothing ‘unusual’ about President Thabo Mbeki’s State of the Nation address, said Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille. ‘Contrary to the stated theme of his speech, this was business as usual for the President,’ she said. Writing in her weekly newsletter, Zille said Mbeki had failed to respond to the nation’s concerns. ‘As has become his custom, he has failed to confront the realities facing our country head-on,’ she said. Once again, Mbeki had refused to hold the government ministers accountable for problems currently being experienced by South Africans. ‘Instead of firing the ministers responsible for the electricity crisis, the President said today that those who do not reduce their electricity consumption should be named and shamed. The obvious response is: Why has he not named and shamed Alec Erwin and Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka? Why are they still in the Cabinet?’ Zille said. DA to call for general election Mbeki had also failed to deal with many of the concerns raised by the DA, including those pertaining to threats by the ANC leadership to close down the Scorpions investigative unit. ‘Instead of unequivocally defending the unit’s right to exist independently of the South African Police Services, he has been deliberately vague about the unit’s future. Given the fervour with which the ANC have vowed to dissolve the unit, the future of the Scorpions looks bleak,’ she said. It was now clear that Mbeki had become a ‘lame duck’. Ms Zille said: ‘He has failed to lead, failed to inspire and failed to offer hope - he has made it clear that his government will not accept responsibility for the very real crises facing our country’. In view of the serious blunders committed by Mbeki’s government, the DA had resolved to immediately call for general elections. ‘The Democratic Alliance will next week table a motion in Parliament to dissolve the National Assembly in order for a fresh election to be held. We believe that the people of
NO CHANGE, AS MBEKI DELIVERS STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS
Brendan Boyle
President Thabo Mbeki used his next-to-last State of the Nation address to present 24 'Apex Priorities' for his government in its final months in power. 'Business Unusual,' Mbeki declared to a packed joint sitting of the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces. 'We speak of Business Unusual not referring to any changes in our established policies, but with regard to the speedy, efficient and effective implementation of these policies.' He said the priorities covered by the Apex Priorities would be: * Further acceleration of economic growth and development; * Speeding up the construction of infrastructure; * Better interventions to boost the second economy and fight poverty; * Enhancing the impact of education policies; * Better health care; * Revamping the criminal justice system; * Improving the capacity of government;* More work to create peace in Africa.
Many 'troubled by a deep sense of unease' about SA’s future
Mbeki acknowledged that 'many in our society are troubled by a deep sense of unease about where our country will be tomorrow.' But in an early signal that he plans to carry on as he has over the past nine years, with no dramatic change of direction following his defeat at the ANC's Polokwane conference in December, he said the fundamentals of policy and development remained strong and correct. Mbeki said some worried about:
* The electricity crisis; * Rising interest rates and food prices; * The prosecution of the chief of police and the suspension of the chief prosecutor; * Allegations about the abuse of state power were concerns that could not be dismissed, but that the challenge would be how to respond to them. 'This historical moment demands that our nation should unite as never before and strain every sinew of its collective body to address our common challenges.'
Response to the electricity crisis
Mbeki devoted nearly three pages of his speech to the electricity crisis, repeating the apology of Eskom and the government for the blackouts. He urged consumers to conserve power and promised a series of meetings and workshops to accelerate the build programme and, as a matter of urgency, to clear the way for co-generation, which would allow private producers to generate electricity in parallel with Eskom. Mbeki promised that preparations for the FIFA World Cup in 2010 were on track.
The rest of Mbeki’s speech was a series of affirmations, with little or no detail, of the decisions of the ANC conference in Polokwane. In most cases, he promised to accelerate or to energise or to intensify programmes already underway. Pausing regularly to wipe the sweat from his face, Mbeki said programmes would be introduced to develop industry, to promote digital communication, the facilitate investment, to promote health, to build more houses more quickly, to support and protect children and to fight poverty.
'We will require a national war room for a war against poverty bringing together departments such as Social Development, Provincial and Local Government, Trade and Industry, Agriculture and Land Affairs, Public Works and Health,' he said. HIV/AIDS got a single mention and the call for the extension of child support grants to children up to the age of 18 was reduced to a promise of emergency support to particularly vulnerable children. One firm promise was that old age pensions would be equalised for men and women from the age of 60, bringing about half a million men into the programme. Men currently can only draw a pension from 65 years of age.