DAVID LE PAGE, Johannesburg | Friday 2.00pm.
A BROAD and sweeping plan for South African development was laid out on Friday morning by President Thabo Mbeki in his state of the nation address to a joint sitting of the National assembly.
Covering every issue from crime to the humiliation of the Bushmen, and announcing a major investment in South African Airways by Swissair, Mbeki gave the impression of being a man with a clear and distinct programme for taking South Africa beyond the compromises and caution of the Government of National Unity era.
He led by saying that the principle challenge for the country is to build a “caring” society, overcoming the brutality of the past.
To this end, he announced the intention to rebuild the South African Police Services with better qualified recruits and better conditions of service. A special investigation unit will be established to deal with national priority crimes, including police corruption, and high-crime areas will receive special attention.
On the economic front, Mbeki announced a huge investment in South African Airways by Swissair, and promised that the restructuring of state enterprises, particulary in the telecoms and energy sectors will proceed apace.
He pointed to revised figures indicating that economic growth has been higher of late than originally thought, as evidence of the success of the government’s policies. He said public spending will be reformed by cutting personnels costs and increasing public-private partnerships.
Importantly, he said criticisms of the government’s labour market policies as being too rigid have been shown by independent surveys to be largely unfounded, but acknowledged the need to deal with the perception.
Aids, poverty and rural development were also promised increased attention, not through increased spending, but through better integration of services, better management and the persecution of corruption.
He identified education and training as a major priority, saying that continued education of those working in the sector is essential.
Foreign policy will concentrate on building peace in Africa, and building the position of Africa on the world stage, to which ends elder statesmen like former President Mandela will be deployed.