Cape Town – President Jacob Zuma insists South Africa is a “good news story”, and that those who disagree have either not been observant or live in another country.
Responding to oral
questions in the National Assembly on Thursday, Zuma said even if there have
been disagreements with the type of economic policies South Africa followed in
the past (such as GEAR and Asgisa), it doesn’t mean the country hasn’t moved
forward.
His comments came
after Inkatha Freedom Party MP Mkhuleko Hlengwa asked the president how South Africa could proclaim a good news
story while unemployment is higher than 27%.
Zuma responded by saying
the current unemployment rate doesn’t mean no employment has been created.
“Compare South Africa
with other countries: you won’t find any other country in the world which has
made so much progress in 20 years.
“We’re the biggest
economy on the continent. You can’t say that’s not a good story. We have clear
programmes, such as with infrastructure. It’s a reality. There is development
in various ways.”
Zuma acknowledged that
the global economic meltdown in 2008 affected South Africa, as was the case with all other
countries in the world.
“If someone says
nothing is happening (in South Africa) then it means you haven’t observed the
progress. Or either you don’t live here. We believe we’ve made progress.”
Radical economic
transformation
Zuma said radical
socioeconomic transformation was already discussed at the ANC’s elective
conference in Mangaung in 2012.
“But we can’t just talk
any more. It’s now time to act,” Zuma said.
The Constitution of
South Africa, according to Zuma, is “not as explicit” on economic rights as it
is on political rights.
“But it does enjoin us not
to use legislative and other measures to reverse the discrimination of the past
suffered by black people. Government will continue to work with business and
labour to achieve the objectives set out in the State of the Nation address to bring black people into the mainstream of the economy.”
Cooperation yields
benefits
Zuma also said he is
pleased with the good working relations between government, labour and the
private sector.
“We’ve been building on
an existing good history of working together,” Zuma said, adding that the
Nedlac (National Economic Development and Labour Council) platform has
proved to be an effective “clearing house” for policies and laws.
One example of the positive outcome of this collaboration, Zuma said, is the agreement that has been reached on a national minimum wage, which was signed by all parties involved.