SONA2016: Opposition parties hit out at President Zuma

SONA2016: Opposition parties hit out at President Zuma

Opposition parties have described President Jacob Zuma's State of the Nation Address as uninspiring.  Zuma delivered his speech in Parliament last night.

President Jacob Zuma
Gallo images

The DA's Mmusi Maimane feels the President has no real plan to address the issues facing South Africans.


"The massive budget cut an item would have been to downsize the size of Cabinet and make it half, that's R4.2 billion. That immediately puts that stimulus into higher education learning for South Africans. 


"He should have been bolder about saying we need to ensure that basic services are delivered," he said. 


The EFF feels the only way forward for South Africa is to impeach Zuma. Party leader Julius Malema addressed reporters outside the National Assembly after staging a walkout.  


Click here for more: 'Zupta Must Fall': The EFF's early exit


Malema says they'll return to Parliament to ask Zuma to be impeached after the Constitutional Court case on Nkandla has been finalised.


"While we are just waiting for the formalisation from the Constitutional Court, what follows is an impeachment. If the ANC can't remove him we are going to come back here. 


"We are going to impeach him and if fellow thugs don't want to remove their chief thug, then we will go back to the Constitutional Court because the man is not fit for the Office of the President," he said.


Meanwhile, ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe says the ruling party's pleased with Zuma's address. Mantashe says Zuma touched on many critical issues including the economy.  


He says the ANC has full confidence in him.


"We have confidence in President Jacob Zuma, he's the president of the ANC voted for by our conference until 2017, and the president until 2019," he said.


Also read: An analyst feels #SONA2016 came with a reality check for economic growth


(File photo: Gallo Images)


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