The State of the Nation address (SONA) will be delivered by President Jacob Zuma on the evening of Thursday, 14 February. What do you think should be the most important focus areas for the president in his speech? We will publish selected responses below.
“Our focus must remain on creating jobs, building up our middle class and supporting families who struggle. We need to boost our workforce by investing in education so students can afford to get a degree or the best training for the jobs of today and tomorrow. We need to invest in manufacturing to help local businesses grow and hire more workers. And we need to invest in infrastructure to make sure our country and state have the transportation and technology to compete globally.”-Columbus Williams,Eastern Cape
The president should clearly have a strategy on how money is spent by the government. Enough is enough wasting hard earned taxpayers money. Just like how government is efficient in collecting tax money, they should have an even more stricter body to monitor government spending. it should be so difficult to get money from the government like drawing blood from a rock.”- E Toyi,Johannesburg
“Talking about Trilion rand debt. Corruption, NDP, Rape and state of the education not forgetting Nkandla renovations real story.”- Rofhiwa,Pretoria East
“Neglected reserves of water in the Limpopo Province like Nandoni , Thathe , Makhuvha and Tshirovha dams.What are the plans to bring water to communities that has large reserves of water but are starving because this precious commodity is just neglected.I will be pleased to hear the president`s statement towards this.” – muofheAJ,Limpopo, Fondwe village
In order to turn the tide against rampant violence and rape President Zuma should propose the the creation os a ‘Charter for SA Maculinty’, shaped largely by civil society (women included) with limited government inputs. This Charter could then be taught in schools/universities and could have an accompanying ‘pledge’ component that is renewed annually in a public forum by all male students. Only when we recover a a fresh national consensus on male identity can we expect male behaviour to change. Come on Jacob, ‘Yes we can!’ – Rigby Wallace, Cape Town
“The implementation & fastracking of NDP with the Minister of Monitoring & Evaluation doing what he knows best & Taking Ministers who dont perform head-on.”- Sekailwe,Kimberley
“‘spose it’s too much to ask for a FW- moment: Zuma announcing his resignation as prez in acknowledgement of his abject failure to handle the job, and the denigration brought to the prestige and honour of the title during his tenure. To be followed by his declared willingness to face the litany of legal charges against him, and – finally – to have his day in court. The rainbow nation demands this, as the only unambiguous action to assuage fears that the Republic has become little more than a ravenous kleptocracy … “- Voss,Cape Town
“Budget deficit reduction from 6% to 3%. Address teacher shortages in schools, especially in the Eastern Cape. Youth unemployment and implementation of youth wage subsidy. More funding for FETs and Incentive for investors who create jobs and punishment for those that are using machines.”-Mthuthuzeli Temba,eMfuleni
“A definite plan, including clear steps how the plan will be executed, how he and the justice department intend to deal with corruption and especially with corrupt officials. How goverment intend to train enough teachers, especially at primary level, and nurses. Schools and enough hospitals / clinics to be a mayor point in his address.”- Hennie Greyvenstein,Gauteng
“I will like to hear the President, for once, addressing the issues affecting the civil servants, nurses in particular. They are regarded as people of essential services but are never cared for in as far as their welfare and remuneration is concerned. They do not qualify for RDP houses, nor for the expensive houses beyond their remunerations.These people are not expected to go on strke if they are not satisfied with labour relation issues but re hardly thought about in the country’s economy and welfare. At least introducing a ministry of nursing will do, as there is ministry for education.”-Ian P. Molefe,KZN
“I want to hear President Zuma voicing his support for the constitutional values of this beautiful country. I want to hear full and total respect for our diversities, and what that contributes to our society. Not divisive and judgemental talk. I want to hear inclusion of us all – including all our races, sexual orientations, languages and backgrounds. I want to hear vocal support for those of us who are gay, and have families. I want to hear support for women, especially against femicide and violence. I want to hear that education is a total priority, and quality is what will be emphasised, not face value. I want my children to have equal access to high quality education, lives and jobs. And I want space to do work that makes a positive difference to our society.”-Inky,KZN
“Detailed action plan to tackle crime and corruption – not just more promises that come to nothing. Detailed action plan to work with business and labour as equal partners to create jobs – not just nice-sounding promises full of pie-in-the-sky targets that are never met.Restoring labour relations on the mines and fruit farms and in other sectors through education, a willingness by all stakeholders to admit past mistakes and to improve conditions, cooperation among all stakeholders, depoliticizing the issues, and treating all stakeholders equally.”Stef, Cape Town
“I would say specifically he must tell us what happend to the promise they gave us of developing the youth of this country in agriculture,what happend to the Sports developement in rural areas?”Benford Thobejane,Ga-Mathabatha Madikeleng
“i do not want to hear anything, i just want him to wipe out corruption in government. i want to see him controlling the refugees and the illegal imigrants. build more RDP houses. we are sill waiting for something between for the people who do not qualify for RDP and BOND houses.”Robert, Soweto
“He should pay more attention on the youth unemployment issue. It is painful and very sad that you study very hard for a degree or a diploma and after that no job.The stress,sleepless nights,determination and hard work you need to put to get that degree or diploma should pay at the end of the day .If students are doing degrees /diplomas which are in excess in the country then something must be done to regulate the number of students that graduate in that certain degree /diploma so that we do not end up with unemployed graduates.In addition,the president and his administration must try by all means to create sustainable jobs (not internships) in collaboration with other industries.”Nelvia Phala,Nebo(Limpopo)
“I want presient J.Zuma to help poor people there in S.A and give them more RDP house and job. And i want him to focus fight again Aids-Hiv to end this.”- Maso Bhengu,Lamontville, Durban
“water shortages in rural areas . We have a system in place but the water has disappeared.”- Sizwe, uMshwathi KwaSwayimani
“President jacob Zuma must find way to decrease the Job Agencies and create more sufficient jobs for the unemployed because the angencies take away lots of money and people end up getting low salaries which they can’t even afford to feed their families. I thank u”- Siyabonga, Kwamashu
“Address the need to develop small business enterprise from previously disadvantaged rural villages. and method which will be used to accelerate small business to facilitate growth and high employment rate in the coming future.”- Ramafamba Mutendwahothe, Limpopo province
“The plan he has on the high rate of unemployment in our. Country. And we would like to know if the money to create employment which was being managed by DBSA are there any results from that plan.”- Gugu, Newcastle
“Tell him please that if he wants to try to unite all the Citizens of S.A. again, if it’s not too late already, drop BEE and Affirmative Action; take action against ALL forms of crime – farm murders, rapes, burglaries, corruption! Tell him to sort out transport for ALL his Citizens. There should be trains and busses and trams……whatever, but public transport there MUST be! Tell him his people, black, white and gray, need to have subsidies on basic food like milk, eggs, bread, mealie meal. Tell him a good way to employ all his unemployed is to get communal farms – kibbutzes, developed and established so that families can all stay together and ALL contribute to their own well being, income and family matters.”-Petunia Lerato Masilela,Mpumalanga-Schoemansdal (Nkomazi Municipality)
“How does the President hope to get the ongoing embattled Eastern Cape department of Education on track. Despite the national intervention, nothing has been achieved when it comes to the problem of temporary teachers and general shortage of teachers in schools. How will they bridge the gap between nice promises and actual implementation.”- Simphiwe Gqoboka, Eastern Cape.
“President Zuma needs to look at system where al people of age get a pension. It is so hard to survive on a retirement annuity of R500 per month. People that have contributed to this economy are not looked after. Take away children’s grant of R260 as more and children are being born or rather give food vouchers to these mums then I know funds are not abused.”- Marilyn, Cape Town.
Public health care system. If you go to hospital you are given a date two or three months out and you are really sick. I guess they should put in place public servants performance appraisals by independent consultants. Public servants should stop hiding. Behind unions and simply do their jobs. The president must address that issue.- Pride, Hermanus.
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