STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS 2005
It's all coming together: Mbeki
Matome Sebelebele
11 February 2005
"We are not being arrogant or complacent when we assert that our country, as a united nation, has never in its entire history enjoyed such a confluence of encouraging possibilities", President Thabo Mbeki said in his State of the Nation Address to Parliament in Cape Town on Friday.
Reporting back to the nation on the service delivery targets he set for his administration last year, Mbeki conceded that while there were logistical, policy, organisational and legal delays in the implementation of certain targets, a significant number had been achieved.
Of the 307 concrete actions identified in the government's programme of action, 51% of those with specific timeframes had been undertaken and 21% were being undertaken. The remaining 28% had not fully been carried out, and new deadlines would have to be set for these, Mbeki said.
Of those projects without deadlines, 86% were progressing as envisaged, while 14% showed delays that called for
"urgent attention".
Among the positive outputs were the arrest of 169 of South Africa's 200 top criminals, the hiring of community development workers, and the establishment of ward committees.
The economy was booming - with achievable challenges still facing the second, predominantly black, economy - and the 10-millionth household had received safe water last December.
"We commend our programme, confident that its implementation will help to place us on the high road towards ensuring that we become a winning nation, and that we play our role towards the renewal of Africa and the creation of a better world", Mbeki said.
The President acknowledged constructive inputs by numerous citizens, including political and economic commentators, volunteers, community leaders, newspapers editors and columnists, on the building of what he called "social cohesion" in SA.
However, he singled out education as one of his administration's main worries. This after it
became apparent that government would not reach its target on the schools infrastructure programme within the set timeframe.
Mbeki vowed to push his administration to deliver the facilities needed to ensure that no child studied under a tree, and that all schools had potable water and sanitation.
He also acknowledged that the government "does not have the resources to simultaneously meet all the admittedly urgent needs of the poor ... All of us must understand the stark reality that even illegal violent demonstrations will not produce these resources, and will be met with the full force of the law.
"At the same time, we have to deal with those within the public service who, because of their negligence and tardiness, deny many of our people services due to them, in instances where resources have been made available to deliver these services."
By June this year, Mbeki said, the government would have completed its plan to improve monitoring and evaluation across
government and to implement an electronic information management system.
"We shall also intensify the programme to expand employment in the public service, particularly among the police, education and health professionals, as well as sections providing economic services across all spheres."
Also by June, the government will complete its review of gender balances and representation of people with disabilities in the public service.
"We hope that, as part of their own contribution to the transformation of South African society, and in the context of the obligation to meet the requirements of our laws, the private sector will do the same."
On foreign policy, the President said South Africa would continue to push for peaceful conflict resolution in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Ivory Coast, Haiti, Iraq and Togo.
Mbeki urged the public and private sector, and all South Africans, to put their shoulders to the wheel to achieve "our common
national objectives".
"Acting together, we do have the capacity to realise these objectives", Mbeki said. "And sparing neither effort nor strength, we can and shall build a South Africa that truly belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity."
Source: BuaNews
| 
