Government will work hard with the support of South African citizens to ensure that project management lessons learned from the World Cup help it to improve and deliver services, President Jacob Zuma said in his New Year’s message on Friday.
“This is the year that marked the 20th anniversary of the release of president Nelson Mandela from prison and the unbanning of liberation movements, which led eventually to a liberated South Africa.”
“For all South Africans, 2010 is also synonymous with the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup tournament — one of the biggest and most successful international projects we have ever managed or hosted in the country’s 16 years of freedom,” he said.
Zuma thanked the nation for “ensuring the phenomenal success of this first Fifa World Cup soccer tournament on the African continent.
“The hard work and cooperation of all our people made the event colourful, enjoyable and memorable,” he said.
“We need to build on the positive spirit that prevailed, and ensure that the social cohesion, togetherness and patriotism that existed become part of the make-up of our society.
“Fellow South Africans, we cannot change the way government works without your help and support as citizens. We therefore thank you for your suggestions, compliments and complaints in 2010,” Zuma said.
The country would once again host a number of major international events. Among these was the International Olympic Committee General Assembly in July in Durban. The second one, also in Durban, would be the United Nations 17th climate change conference in December 2011.
“Working together we must make these and other important events a great success,” Zuma said.
He said many people wrote to government directly, some voiced their opinions daily on radio talk shows and other media platforms, while many others approached it at public events or sent information through the presidential hotline and other government hotlines.
Zuma said government was working hard to make schools function better and that more families obtained housing, water and electricity.
“Persons with disability are now obtaining homes that are user-friendly, indicating a caring and responsive government.
“We are working hard towards ensuring that no child goes to bed hungry through the extensive child support grant programme and other social grants,” he said.
The president also noted compliments about government’s revitalised HIV/Aids programme, especially the expanded access to treatment and prevention measures.
There was as well the need to speed up the renovation of health facilities and improve medicine supplies.
“Most importantly, we know that the New Year wish of scores of South Africans is to find jobs. It is also the dream of many citizens who lost their jobs during the hard-hitting global economic recession, which cost our country close to a million jobs.
“Working together as government, business, labour and other sectors we have to focus on growing the economy to create more jobs,” Zuma said.
“That is the essence of the new growth path, the economic development plan that we unveiled for comment recently.
“Working together we will make this happen,” he said.
“As we prepare to draw the curtain on 2010, let us remember those who lost their loved ones in 2010. We wish them a better and happier 2011.
“Compatriots, on behalf of government, I wish you joy, success and prosperity in 2011,” said Zuma. – Sapa