Give Zuma your ear

ALL eyes will be on Parliament this evening when President Jacob Zuma delivers the annual State of the National address (Sona). Some people may not have any interest in what the president of the country will say, some would want to hear him speak about what concerns them and some would want to draw attention away from the Sona.

South Africans should not allow themselves to be distracted by the noise around Parliament today and would do well to listen to exactly what Zuma says.

The constitution guarantees freedom of speech and the right to protest.

It is a right some people had paid the ultimate price for.

Our democracy allows everyone the right to be heard.

This said, there are many who have an axe to grind with Zuma, who despise him and who make no bones about how they feel about his leadership.

There are also many of his detractors with their own agendas.

We would do well to understand this is not Zuma’s Sona.

The president, like his predecessors, consulted widely as he prepared the Sona.

We should use this important occasion to interrogate what he says.

We need to get a clear understanding of the health of our nation and the areas that need attention.

Experts have highlighted key issues that they want to have tackled head-on, including agriculture, the impending drought, the economy and safety and security.

Generally, it has not been a good year for the country.

The student protests impacted on the academic year, jobs were shed as the economy remained sluggish, and crime increased.

However, according to a South African Institute for Race Relations report, “State of the Nation 2017 The Silver Lining”, not everything was doom and gloom.

“More people were living in formal houses, had access to clean water, toilets and electricity. The number of black African candidates passing matric had seen a remarkable increase from 259 in 1955 to 369 903 in 2015, the institute says.

“These findings served as a reminder the country has come a long way, and they dispel the dangerous notion that life was better before 1994,” it adds.

We agree with the institute that on the other side of this narrative are the millions of people excluded from the success story.

Undoubtedly, most South Africans want to hear how today’s Sona will improve their lives. And it should include improving the lives of the millions mentioned by the institute.