Zuma defends expatriates

"South Africa also belongs to our compatriots who live abroad," he said at the Solidarity's 2009 congress in Muldersdrift.

"There is a tendency to view all South African expatriates as disgruntled people who left the country because they hated the dawn of freedom and democracy.

"That small element may exist, but not all emigrants are out of the country for such reasons. Scores of other South Africans are abroad in search of greener pastures, for example nurses, social workers and teachers," Zuma said.

The ANC president said the party had no intention of "restricting the freedom of movement" of South Africans, however, it did not want to encourage a "skills flight" either.

"Therefore, we must do more to make our country attractive to skilled individuals."

Affirmative action not meant to harm

Zuma said government's affirmative action policy was not meant to harm any particular group.

"The policy is not meant to harm any group, or to adversely affect anyone. Its main objective is that of redress.

"Our approach is also that the application of affirmative action should not affect the country's economy," Zuma said.

It was a policy government remained committed to.

The trade union movement opposes affirmative action in its current form, saying it polarised groups on racial grounds and alienated whites.

Solidarity general secretary Flip Buys said the union understood the need for "some affirmative action and other measures" to address the inequalities in the labour market and the extreme levels of poverty.

"Our view is that we support that measures, but while we think and while we know that it is necessary to redress the inequalities in the labour market, we are saying that we must not address that inequality in such a way that it creates new imbalances and new forms of discrimination," he said.

Crime

Zuma said crime permeated "every detail of life" and had a long term effect on the "moral fibre of society".

"We will take the fight to another level by establishing a new modernised, efficient and transformed criminal justice system.

"Government will review the functioning of the police, the judiciary and the correctional services to achieve integration and co-ordination," he said.

Zuma met Solidarity leadership behind closed doors after listening to Buys' address.

He emerged from the meeting and was received warmly by staff from the Good News Convention Centre, posing for pictures and talking casually with them.

He was then whisked off, body guards in tow.

Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosutho Buthelezi was also present at the congress along with Willie Spies, leader of the Freedom Front Plus.