Mulder: Zuma must bring certainty, hope
2013-02-13 16:58
Cape Town - President Jacob Zuma must use his State of the
Nation address to bring South Africans certainty and hope for the future, FF
Plus leader Pieter Mulder said on Wednesday.
"Unemployment, slow economic growth, lack of foreign
investments, and corruption are some of the most serious crises in South Africa
at the moment. The government sends confusing messages on all these terrains
(sic) which have to be corrected," he said in a statement.
The consequence of these confusing actions was
uncertainty about government's policy directions and negativity about the
future.
"When a minister threatens to withdraw mining
licenses, and it appears as if government doesn't know how to act against
violent protests, it frightens foreign investors away."
When government made strong comments against corruption,
but there were daily reports about ANC leaders and public servants committing
corruption, voters doubted government's seriousness about combating corruption.
"When government increases wages in the middle of
the agricultural season with 52%, it leads to great job losses instead of
greater job creation in rural areas," said Mulder, who serves as deputy
agriculture minister in Zuma's Cabinet.
He said Zuma, in his address, needed to assure his
audience that investments and property rights in South Africa would be safe,
and that his government was prepared "to again look at economic measures,
which at present are dampening economic growth".
The president also needed to make a clear statement and
demonstrate "daring new thinking" on job creation, economic growth,
labour legislation, and combating corruption.
Mulder called for greater economic freedom for the
private sector and intensive infrastructure development by the state.
"This was the winning recipe in other developing
countries and the president can give hope by moving in that direction," he
said.
- SAPA
