Mmusi Maimane says the country is in a tight "race against time"‚ but it was the fact that the Democratic Alliance leader has quite a "tight rebuttal" that drew titters on Twitter today.
While the focus of Maimane’s remarks at a panel discussion at The Gathering in Midrand was on building a better future for all South Africans‚ clearly some of his audience and viewers at home were more focused on the man himself.
Rebecca Davis — columnist for the Daily Maverick‚ which hosted The Gathering – tweeted: "Comedian Tumi Morake says‚ fanning herself‚ that Maimane has ‘quite a tight rebuttal’. He nips back to give her a kiss #DMNandosGathering".
In his speech‚ Maimane accused the ANC government of shifting its focus from serving the people to protecting its own.
"And when they’re not out there shielding our compromised president from the law‚ they’re dwelling on their fast-fading history‚ and conjuring up so-called ‘good stories’ about their failed delivery to the people of South Africa‚" he asserted.
He added that South Africa’s economy was barely moving forward.
"We are in fact stagnating. And this is not the fault of the global economy. We are lagging far behind the rest of Africa. Nigeria is part of the same global economy‚ and their GDP has been growing at an average of over 6% for the past decade."
The biggest threat to the country’s advancement was the triple enemy of unemployment‚ poverty and inequality.
"The indicators paint a bleak picture of our economic success. Estimated GDP growth for 2014 was 1.4%‚ down from 1.9% in 2013. It is forecast at 2.0% for 2015‚ well below the 5% required by the NDP (National Development Plan) to create a real dent in unemployment.
"Economic success is being prevented by policy uncertainty and incoherence. Added to this is the undue influence from Unions who don’t seem to care about the future of the workers they represent‚" Maimane stated.
He added that unemployment was at a 12-year high‚ and an increasing number of jobless South Africans were not even looking for work anymore.
"Two-thirds of unemployed South Africans are under 35 years old. If we don’t act fast‚ the bulge in this statistic could grow even bigger as the next generation approaches working age. This is a ticking time-bomb‚" Maimane asserted.
"If reducing unemployment‚ eradicating poverty and ridding our society of the crippling scourge of inequality doesn’t sit at the very heart of your plan for the country‚ then you have no business running the country. Then you need to step aside and make way for those with the vision and the will to do so."
In an obvious swipe at President Jacob Zuma‚ Maimane added: "If you are living‚ ‘secure in comfort’‚ in a R246 million palace‚ while South Africans suffer the constant burden of load shedding‚ e-tolls and ever decreasing opportunities‚ it is time to step aside.
"We simply cannot afford another decade of aimless‚ leaderless drift. We are now in a race against time."
DA leader’s ‘tight rebuttal’ draws titters on Twitter
While the focus of Maimane’s remarks at a panel discussion at The Gathering in Midrand was on building a better future for all South Africans‚ clearly some of his audience and viewers at home were more focused on the man himself.
Rebecca Davis — columnist for the Daily Maverick‚ which hosted The Gathering – tweeted: "Comedian Tumi Morake says‚ fanning herself‚ that Maimane has ‘quite a tight rebuttal’. He nips back to give her a kiss #DMNandosGathering".
In his speech‚ Maimane accused the ANC government of shifting its focus from serving the people to protecting its own.
"And when they’re not out there shielding our compromised president from the law‚ they’re dwelling on their fast-fading history‚ and conjuring up so-called ‘good stories’ about their failed delivery to the people of South Africa‚" he asserted.
He added that South Africa’s economy was barely moving forward.
"We are in fact stagnating. And this is not the fault of the global economy. We are lagging far behind the rest of Africa. Nigeria is part of the same global economy‚ and their GDP has been growing at an average of over 6% for the past decade."
The biggest threat to the country’s advancement was the triple enemy of unemployment‚ poverty and inequality.
"The indicators paint a bleak picture of our economic success. Estimated GDP growth for 2014 was 1.4%‚ down from 1.9% in 2013. It is forecast at 2.0% for 2015‚ well below the 5% required by the NDP (National Development Plan) to create a real dent in unemployment.
"Economic success is being prevented by policy uncertainty and incoherence. Added to this is the undue influence from Unions who don’t seem to care about the future of the workers they represent‚" Maimane stated.
He added that unemployment was at a 12-year high‚ and an increasing number of jobless South Africans were not even looking for work anymore.
"Two-thirds of unemployed South Africans are under 35 years old. If we don’t act fast‚ the bulge in this statistic could grow even bigger as the next generation approaches working age. This is a ticking time-bomb‚" Maimane asserted.
"If reducing unemployment‚ eradicating poverty and ridding our society of the crippling scourge of inequality doesn’t sit at the very heart of your plan for the country‚ then you have no business running the country. Then you need to step aside and make way for those with the vision and the will to do so."
In an obvious swipe at President Jacob Zuma‚ Maimane added: "If you are living‚ ‘secure in comfort’‚ in a R246 million palace‚ while South Africans suffer the constant burden of load shedding‚ e-tolls and ever decreasing opportunities‚ it is time to step aside.
"We simply cannot afford another decade of aimless‚ leaderless drift. We are now in a race against time."
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