President Jacob Zuma has delivered his maiden State of the Nation address. Read the entire speech here...

Honourable Speaker;
Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces;
Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP;
Deputy President of the Republic, Kgalema Motlanthe
Former President of the Republic, Thabo Mbeki,
Our icon, the First President of a democratic South Africa,

Isithwalandwe Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela,
Former Deputy Presidents,
Distinguished Premiers and Speakers of our Provinces;
Esteemed members of the Judiciary;
Chairperson of SALGA, mayors and leaders in our system of local government;
Chairperson of the National House of Traditional Leaders and our honoured traditional leaders;
Heads of Chapter 9 Institutions;
Governor of the Reserve Bank,
Religious leaders,
Directors-General and other leaders of the public service;
President of the Pan African Parliament, Honourable Idriss

Endele Moussa,
Your Excellencies Ambassadors and High Commissioners;
Distinguished guests, comrades and friends;
Fellow South Africans,

Dumelang, Abusheni, Molweni,

On the 22nd of April, millions of South Africans went out to cast their votes. They exercised their democratic right spurred on by the desire to change their lives for the better.

In their overwhelming numbers, they confirmed that working together we can do more to fight poverty and build a better life for all.

They were encouraged by the vision of an inclusive society, a South Africa that belongs to all, a nation united in its diversity, a people working together for the greater good of all.

We are humbled by this decisive electoral mandate given by the people of our country, who have chosen their government in a most convincing manner.

Honourable Members,

Our nation has over the past few years gone through very challenging times.

It is thanks to the fact that we have a strong and fully functional constitutional democratic system, with solid institutions, that we overcame these difficulties smoothly and with dignity.

Today's occasion is a celebration of what makes this democracy work. It is also a celebration of our culture of continuity and collective responsibility.

This is evidenced by the presence here of our icon Madiba, who laid the foundation for the country's achievements, and that of former President Thabo Mbeki, who built on that foundation.

The continuity is also evident in the fact that former President Kgalema Motlanthe is now the Deputy President of the Republic, after a seamless transition, making us a unique country in many respects.

Fellow South Africans,

As you would be aware, the fight against poverty remains the cornerstone of our government's focus.

On the 9th of May, during the Presidential inauguration, we made a commitment to our people and the world that:

"For as long as there are South Africans who die from preventable disease;

For as long as there are workers who struggle to feed their families and who battle to find work;

For as long as there are communities without clean water, decent shelter or proper sanitation;

For as long as there are rural dwellers unable to make a decent living from the land on which they live;

For as long as there are women who are subjected to discrimination, exploitation or abuse;

For as long as there are children who do not have the means nor the opportunity to receive a decent education;

We shall not rest, and we dare not falter, in our drive to eradicate poverty.

In pursuit of these goals, our government has identified 10 priority areas, which form part of our Medium Term Strategic Framework for 2009 to 2014.

The programme is being introduced under difficult economic conditions.

The past year has seen the global economy enter a period of crisis unprecedented in recent decades.

While South Africa has not been affected to the extent that a number of other countries have, its effects are now being clearly seen in our economy. We have entered a recession.

It is more important now than ever that we work in partnership on a common programme to respond to this crisis.

We take as our starting point the framework for South Africa's response to the international economic crisis, concluded by government, labour and business in February this year. We must act now to minimise the impact of this downturn on those most vulnerable.

We have begun to act to reduce job losses. There is an agreement in principle between government and the social partners on the introduction of a training layoff.

Workers who would ordinarily be facing retrenchment due to economic difficulty would be kept in employment, for a period of time and re-skilled.

Discussion on the practical detail is continuing between the social partners and the institutions that would be affected by such an initiative, including the Sector Education and Training Authorities.

We will support the work of the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) to assist employers and workers to find alternatives to retrenchments through the relevant legal process.

To date, CCMA commissioners have saved over four thousand jobs through facilitation processes, and provided ongoing advice and support to retrenched workers.

The Industrial Development Corporation has developed a programme to fund companies in distress. We will also ensure that government buys more goods and services locally, without undermining our global competitiveness or pushing up costs beyond acceptable levels.

Building on the successes of our industrial policy interventions, a scaled up Industrial Policy Action Plan will be developed. The lead sectors already identified are automobile, chemicals, metal fabrication, tourism, clothing and textiles as well as forestry. In addition, attention will also be paid to services, light manufacturing and construction amongst others, in the quest to create decent jobs.

As part of Phase 2 of the Expanded Public Works Programme, the Community Work Programme will be fast-tracked.

It offers a minimum level of regular work to those who need it, while improving the quality of life in communities.

The economic downturn will affect the pace at which our country is able to address the social and economic challenges it faces. But it will not alter the direction of our development.

The policy priorities that we have identified, and the plans that we placed before the electorate, remain at the core of the programme of this government.

Laat ons mekaar se hande vat, en saam oplossings vind in die gees van n Suid Afrikaanse gemeenskap. Die tyd het gekom om harder te werk.

Ons regering gaan vorentoe kyk, nie agtertoe nie!

The steps outlined in our Medium Term Strategic Framework had to take into account the constraints posed by the economic crisis. The downturn should not cause us to change these plans. Instead it should urge us to implement these with speed and determination.

The Framework focuses on 10 priorities.

We make a commitment that working together we will speed up economic growth and transform the economy to create decent work and sustainable livelihoods.

We will introduce a massive programme to build economic and social infrastructure. We will develop and implement a comprehensive rural development strategy linked to land and agrarian reform and food security.

We will strengthen the skills and human resource base. We will improve the health profile of all South Africans.

Working together with all South Africans, we will intensify the fight against crime and corruption. We will build cohesive, caring and sustainable communities.

Working with Africa and the rest of the world, we will pursue African advancement and enhanced international co-operation.

We will ensure sustainable resource management and use.

And, working with the people and supported by our public servants, we will build a developmental state, improve public services and strengthen democratic institutions.

Click through to page 2 for more...

Sapa

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