The ACDP's response to the President's State of the Nation Address

Rev Kenneth Meshoe MP

“The speech was balanced but it wasn’t specific about certain issues. The country is currently facing serious and life threatening challenges which warrant the attention of the government and the President and require urgent attention” said Reverend Kenneth Meshoe, ACDP President.

This follows today’s opening of Parliament in Cape Town, where President Thabo Mbeki delivered his State of the Nation Address.

“Yesterday’s hostage drama at a Cape Town school has raised serious concerns among learners and their parents about the safety of schools. The president could have at least said something about safety concerns at schools. To reassure those parents that government is taking their safety seriously. We believe that there can not be proper learning where students are subjected to constant fear. If this problem is not addressed some children could stop going to school. It would have been laudable if the president assured the country that all those who were traumatised at the school are receiving proper counselling”

“This week’s alleged rape of a patient at the Pretoria Academy hospital has also raised serious concerns. Everybody is asking if it is safe at institutions like these. It was disappointing that the President didn’t convey his condolences to the victim’s family.”

“What was most disappointing is his reflection on HIV / AIDS which is currently gripping South Africa. AIDS was mentioned only in one sentence of his 20 page speech. This indicates how low the issue of HIV / AIDS is on government’s agenda. The ACDP believes that AIDS must be at the top of government’s priority list, because it is about the life of our people. Government must tell South Africans what it is going to do to ensure that all those who need ARVs will get them immediately.”

“In terms of Zimbabwe, everybody knows that quiet diplomacy is not working. Government should learn from Cosatu, which is doing more to challenge Zimbabwe because of that country’s poor human rights record and poor treatment of opposition parties.”

“The ACDP is deeply concerned about the high unemployment rate in South Africa. The economics and the state of the economy looks good on paper, but in reality it doesn’t impact positively on the high unemployment rate.”