South African President Jacob Zuma's first state of the nation address signified a marked shift to the left in government policy and a more socialist agenda, opposition parties said on Wednesday.

Zuma vowed to create 500 000 jobs by the end of the year and to follow through on an ambitious government spending plan which would see billions poured into infrastructure and social spending.

The main opposition Democratic Alliance said the speech was "marked by a very particular and distinct ideological shift towards a socialist agenda."

"It is quite clear now that President Zuma?s term is office will be defined by a drive to centralise power in the hands of the executive, to dramatically increase social spending and to promote an industrial policy that hinders real economic growth and the creation of jobs but reinforces and strengthens the hand of unions," said DA parliamentary leader Athol Trollip.

He said this could affect the government's ability to finance its plans, and could balloon the country's deficit.

President Zuma?s State of the Nation Address

Zuma's promise to create half a million jobs before the end of the year in a recession elicited cheers from the house.

Trollip welcomed many of Zuma's policy proposals, including his admission of problems caused by Aids and a massive shortage of skilled workers, but said the speech lacked detail on how "well-meaning but generic sentiments would be realised in practical terms."

Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi also said more detail would have been welcomed on how government plans to end the culture of dependency.

He said that the language and tone of the speech "seemed to indicate a perceptible shift to the left" and warned that helping the private sector to prosper was as important as state intervention.