African National Congress (ANC) leader Jacob Zuma said on Saturday the new government would focus on fighting crime and poverty following ”one of the most momentous weeks in the history of our country”.
He was addressing a meeting of the South African Communist Party in the wake of the ANC’s replacement of former president Thabo Mbeki by Kgalema Motlanthe before the end of his term.
”We can now all focus on supporting our government in the important tasks of fighting poverty, crime, delivering essential basic services to the people as well as our efforts to create a developmental state,” Zuma said.
Mbeki was criticised for failing to tackle South Africa’s crushing problems of widespread crime and social inequality.
But he was ousted by the ANC after being accused of having a hand in pressing corruption charges against Zuma, who had beaten Mbeki in a bitter ANC leadership contest.
Zuma is expected to take over as president of South Africa after Motlanthe, the deputy leader of the ANC, serves out the remainder of Mbeki’s term until elections in the middle of next year.
”As we approach these elections … we need to be clear about our strategic objectives in relation to our election strategy,” Zuma said at Saturday’s meeting in Randburg.
”We have made it clear that the creation of decent work opportunities will be the primary focus of our economic policies,” he added.
”We want to focus on job creation because whilst many families have access to social grants and other poverty-alleviation programmes, many of these households and communities remain trapped in poverty.”
”On crime, we have said that our laws must bite,” Zuma said. ”We are not going to allow crime to divert our attention from fighting poverty and building a better life for our people.”
The ANC leader also said that ”the health-for-all campaign will be our rallying cry in 2009”.
He singled out especially the fight against HIV/Aids, as well effective treatment for tuberculosis and other diseases.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs under Mbeki, Aziz Pahad, said on Saturday he had declined Motlanthe’s decision to keep him on in the job.
”Due to unfortunate communication problems, President Motlanthe on Thursday announced that I had been re-appointed,” said Pahad, a long-time friend and ally of Mbeki.
”While I am delighted and honoured that the president has once again showed confidence in my ability,” he said in a statement, ”I have written to the president to inform him that I am unable to accept his decision.” — AFP
