Editors views on issues affecting the public

It was very interesting listening to President Jacob Zuma delivering his state of the nation address last Thursday evening, when his comrades kept on clapping for whatever he articulated and the opposition parties scrutinising the proceedings carefully.

Realistically speaking, on the jobs creation issue, I still want to see a real growth in terms of the expanded public works programme that has been spread all over the country. To me, that programme needs to really train the unemployed people because it hasn’t begun preparing them for real sustainable jobs in the market, let alone, standing on their own and opening up small businesses.

The programme has also included car guards in the cities. As a matter of fact, theft of vehicles has decreased as a result of that intervention and has really empowered them and they have the respect of the communities.

Another concern is the tourist monitors that you often encounter in cities.When are they going to be trained to be tour guides, for instance and begin to take tourists around, not as some form of security, but to develop to such an extent that one day they’ll end up as curators in their own tourism businesses? That’s my idea of growth and empowerment for the communities.

Corruption wasn’t entirely tackled head-on as had been expected by many. At least he should also have touched on the Nkandla issue because it has left many people speechless when the report has not even been released by the Public Protector and a panel of ministers held a media briefing exonerating him. If this is about democracy in South Africa, let the truth be told. Corruption exists not only in lower ranks of government, but at the very highest and the government must act.

It is a fact, though, that a lot has changed in the country since 1994, but yours truly would like to see the legacy left by the late President Nelson Mandela and former President Thabo Mbeki being carried forward and it shouldn’t be only in lip-service, but practically so.

Be that as it may, all focus is now on our own State of the Province Address on February 28. We hope it will address all the concerns of the communities, because having lived 20 years in this democracy, people need to see service delivery accelerated.