Congress of the People leader Mvume Dandala on Thursday called on President Jacob Zuma to spell out in more detail his government's plan to tackle the recession.

There were questions that "yearn for answers" he said, speaking during debate in the National Assembly on Wednesday's state of the nation address.

"We would like to hear more about the government's practical intervention plans as a response to this recession.

"The country is left guessing about suggestions made by some to consider huge bail-outs; [and] suggestions made by others to bank-roll companies, and of banks in distress.

"A clear statement in this regard needs to be made. The investor community cannot be left guessing," Dandala said.

On retrenchments, currently at high levels in South Africa, he said more detail was needed on how government planned to halt these.

"We believe that we need to go beyond the generic mention about the social partner consultation that would stop retrenchments. This is challenging.

"What we need is to hear more about the plans, and details of the industries involved in plans, that are going to assist us to overcome this problem."

Job losses, repossessions and retrenchments were already the order of the day, Dandala said.

"I missed in the president's speech a programme that inspires confidence among ordinary people, and how they should weather the storm in the face of repossessions by financial institutions.

"We need to hear more about a plan to engage these institutions," he said.

Sapa

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Sapa

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