Share

Five years of Zuma

FIVE years! That's how long President Jacob Zuma's called the Union Buildings home. He makes his sixth and final State of the Nation address on Thursday evening. Fin24's sister publication City Press spent some time tracking his previous five addresses for you.

Spot the similarities and differences. 

2009

Outlines 10 priority areas.
Economy enters recession - never really recovers to growth levels of president Thabo Mbeki's administration. Business,labour and government establish a team to respond to the global financial crisis.
Announces R787bn infrastructure drive.
Promises to bring down cost of telecoms and expand broadband - this promise is consistent across the five years.
Raises transformation of the judiciary.

2010

Ten priorities slimmed down to five: education, health, rural development and land reform, decent work and fighting crime. State intervention in economy emerges as key theme.
Ramps up social grants to children over 14, bringing grants to 2 million more young people.
Companies in distress fund grows to R6bn - managed by IDC.
Infrastructure budget grows to R846bn.
Announces hospitals programme.
Announces Further Education and Training Programme.
Promises to increase broadband speed and lower communications costs.
Local government is an Achilles' heel.

2011

Praises independent judiciary and media.
Promises to ramp up social grants - consistent across addresses.
Targets six areas of employment growth: infrastructure, development, agriculture, mining and beneficiation, manufacturing, green economy and tourism. 
Green economy, tourism and infrastructure respond but not other three.
Jobs Fund of R9bn announced as well as an incentives suite - does not boost growth or employment meaningfully. Announces state-owned mining company.
Announces digital migration - still far from achieved.
Annual national assessments begin in education.
Local government is an Achilles' heel.

2012

Says unemployment structural since 1970s.
National Development Plan makes first appearance.
Jobs Fund disburses R1bn.
Mining highlighted - committed to favourable and globally competitive mining sector (this is read as the line that dismisses nationalisation rhetoric).
Infrastructure raised as positive again - commission and summit announced.
High electricity prices to be tackled.
Promises to amend black economic empowerment laws - has been done.
Promises to amend procurement processes - a chief procurement officer is announced.

2013

National Development Plan takes pole position in the speech.
Address adopts the NDP goal of 11 million jobs by 2030 - just under half a million a year. We are way behind.
Infrastructure budget grows to R860bn - successes include solar water geysers and De Hoop dam.
Train and bus production highlighted as new manufacturing industries - part of Transnet recapitalisation.
Re-opening of land claims announced.
Local government as an Achilles' heel is stripped out of the speech. Instead, the president announces that cases involving protest violence and vandalism will be fast-tracked across the criminal justice system.
A systemic response (fix local government) gives way to a law and order response.
The president says mining has faced difficulties and spends only one line on Marikana.

For more, read City Press for a trip through the highlights, lowlights and no lights of Zuma's five years.


We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.93
+0.0%
Rand - Pound
23.90
+0.0%
Rand - Euro
20.41
+0.1%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.32
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
+0.0%
Platinum
908.05
+1.2%
Palladium
1,014.94
0.0%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders