THE Economic Freedom Fighters were warned today that they risk parliamentary sanction as President Jacob Zuma closed the bitterly partisan debate on his state-of-the-nation address with a call to the opposition to refrain from personal attacks.
The warning, along with the unruly EFF walkout that sparked it, overshadowed the president’s response in which he reiterated pledges to focus on economic growth and improve service delivery.
Thandi Modise, who chaired the joint sitting for the last stretch of the debate, said an EFF MP had behaved un acceptably as party leader Julius Malema led colleagues from the National Assembly chamber on Thursday night and hinted the member could be disciplined.
In his speech on Friday, Zuma reiterated that economic transformation remained the main focus of his second term and called on business and labour to work with the state towards job-creating growth.
“We need to change the structure of the economy employment creating growth and we can achieve all these goals with focus and determination,” he said.
Zuma listed energy, infrastructure and mining among the sectors where job growth was vital. He went on to mention the mining sector as one where the state would actively seek to uplift communities, as he spoke of the need to improve service delivery across departments .
Officials would pay unannounced visits to home affairs offices, police stations, and hospitals to ensure that the public received “a new culture of accountability and seeking to do better is coming into being”.
He added that greater accountability would extend to im proving financial management of departments, adding that shortcomings were “glaring” every time the auditor general released his annual report. — Sapa
EFF warned as Zuma rebukes opposition
The warning, along with the unruly EFF walkout that sparked it, overshadowed the president’s response in which he reiterated pledges to focus on economic growth and improve service delivery.
Thandi Modise, who chaired the joint sitting for the last stretch of the debate, said an EFF MP had behaved un acceptably as party leader Julius Malema led colleagues from the National Assembly chamber on Thursday night and hinted the member could be disciplined.
In his speech on Friday, Zuma reiterated that economic transformation remained the main focus of his second term and called on business and labour to work with the state towards job-creating growth.
“We need to change the structure of the economy employment creating growth and we can achieve all these goals with focus and determination,” he said.
Zuma listed energy, infrastructure and mining among the sectors where job growth was vital. He went on to mention the mining sector as one where the state would actively seek to uplift communities, as he spoke of the need to improve service delivery across departments .
Officials would pay unannounced visits to home affairs offices, police stations, and hospitals to ensure that the public received “a new culture of accountability and seeking to do better is coming into being”.
He added that greater accountability would extend to im proving financial management of departments, adding that shortcomings were “glaring” every time the auditor general released his annual report. — Sapa
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