Zuma a 'confident liar'

2010-02-12 12:03

Johannesburg - Cope Youth Movement has branded President Jacob Zuma a "confident liar" after he announced in his State of the Nation address that 480 000 jobs had been created last year.

"This we know is devoid of any truth and we believe the president can only be categorised as a confident liar who does it with a smile," the Congress of the People youth wing said on Friday.

"He presented an unbalanced, shameful speech with concocted facts."

It said the president's "shocking distortion" of his own 2009 State of the Nation address on the promise of 500 000 jobs was not a mistake.

"He said government planned to create about 500 000 job opportunities and this made no reference to the expanded public works programme as Zuma said yesterday.

"We view this as no mistake but rather a sign of confusion and the president's lack of understanding of the economic downturn and its impact in the global world."

Zuma's failure to account for the ineffectiveness of the National Youth Development Agency which had been in office for nine months demonstrated again that the youth would remain secondary to the agenda of government, the movement said.

Speech 'shallow, vague and uninspiring'

Cope youth was dismayed and disappointed at the "shallow, vague and uninspiring speech which lacked substance on pertinent issues affecting the people" in Zuma's address.

"His inability to articulate in detail how he intends to have a paradigm shift to deal with improving people's lives was a concern for us," it said.

The movement reiterated its call for Zuma to relinquish his position as president.

"He has too many blemishes which compromise the office. More worrying is [his] arrogant attitude or lack of understanding of HIV/Aids and its consequences.

"He continues making the nation funders of his personal irresponsible actions of his child-making spree while his government is still unable to ensure that all children are cared for like his."

- SAPA