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DA calls for general election
08/02/2008 15:24 - (SA)
Cape Town - There is nothing "unusual" about President Thabo Mbeki's Friday State Of the Nation Address, Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille said.
"Contrary to the stated theme of his speech, this was business as usual for the President," she said.
Writing in her weekly newsletter, Zille said Mbeki had failed to respond to the nation's concerns.
"As has become his custom, he has failed to confront the realities facing our country head-on," she said.
Once again, Mbeki had refused to hold the government ministers accountable for problems currently being experienced by South Africans.
Mbeki a 'lame duck'
"Instead of firing the ministers responsible for the electricity crisis, the President said today that those who do not reduce their electricity consumption should be named and shamed.
"The obvious response is: Why has he not named and shamed Alec Erwin and Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka? Why are they still in the Cabinet?" Zille said.
Mbeki had also failed to deal with many of the concerns raised by the DA, including those pertaining to threats by the ANC leadership to close down the scorpions investigative unit.
"Given the fervour with which the ANC have vowed to dissolve the unit, the future of the Scorpions looks bleak," she said.
It was now clear that Mbeki had become a "lame duck".
"He has failed to lead, failed to inspire and failed to offer hope - he has made it clear that his government will not accept responsibility for the very real crises facing our country," she said.
Blunders
In view of the serious blunders committed by Mbeki's government, the DA had resolved to immediately call for general elections.
"The Democratic Alliance will next week table a motion in Parliament to dissolve the National Assembly in order for a fresh election to be held.
"We believe that the people of South Africa should decide on which party, not just which faction of the ruling party, they want to lead them out of the crises we face," Zille said.
SA's second largest trade union confederation, Fedusa, welcomed "aspects" of President Thabo Mbeki's State of the Nation address on Friday, with some concerns.
Federation of Unions of South Africa general secretary Dennis George said Fedusa welcomed the urgent convening of a joint presidential working group to deal with the electricity crisis.
But it was concerned that smaller companies had already been "forced to scale down on production or even halt their activities completely and had sent workers home without pay".
Addressed crises
President Thabo Mbeki also failed trade union Solidarity's score card, said the union on Friday.
Spokesperson Jaco Kleynhans said the union had given Mbeki 47 out of 100 following his State of the Nation address.
Some of the issues the president was assessed on included the power crisis, education, affirmative action, transformation and skills shortage.
The union awarded the president five bonus points for his "frank" acknowledgement of "numerous crisis situations" in the country such as the energy crisis and crime.
"It was also good to hear the President admit that government has lately been guilty of poor planning," said Kleynhans.
It was disappointed that he highlighted some issues without proposing adequate solutions, Solidarity said.
"About crime, skills shortages and instability in Zimbabwe and the rest of Africa, the President acknowledged the problem without offering new solutions."
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