Schools, HIV and poverty South Africa’s big promises

Building schools, cutting poverty and halving HIV infections are new South African President Jacob Zuma’s key priorities this year, he said in his first state of the nation address.In his first major speech as president, Jacob Zuma showed he had heard the voters who elected him six weeks ago. He said the plight of the 40 percent of South Africans living in poverty would be his top priority."We shall not rest and we dare not falter, in our drive to eradicate poverty," said Mr. Zuma.

Mr. Zuma pledged to fast-track a public-works programme to build schools, health centres, roads and information networks. And he vowed to create 500,000 jobs by the end of this year and four million jobs in the next five years. He also pledged to strengthen plans to boost the skills of unemployed and under-employed workers. In a country with one of the highest HIV infection rates in the world, Mr. Zuma promised to halve the rate of HIV infection in three years and extend anti-retroviral treatment to 80 percent of those suffering from AIDS.

Fighting poverty is top of the agenda, he said a week after South Africa officially announced it was facing its worst recession in 17 years."We must act now to minimise the impact of this downturn on those most vulnerable," he said in Cape Town. But he also told parliament the government had to spend wisely. Fifteen years after the end of apartheid, about 40% of South Africans live in poverty - more than half of that number survive on less than one dollar a day, according to government data. Its economy shrunk by 6.4% during the first quarter of this year and almost one in four South Africans is unemployed.

Mr Zuma said a three-year 787bn rand (£60bn) spending programme announced in this year's budget - and including funds for schools, transport, housing and sanitation - must be properly planned. "In the face of the economic downturn, we will have to act prudently - no wastage, no rollovers of funds - every cent must be spent wisely and fruitfully," he said. Mr Zuma, whose African National Congress Party (ANC) swept into power in April elections on the back of strong support from unions and the poor, cautioned against expectations of a quick fix to the financial slump. "The economic downturn will affect the pace at which our country is able to address the social and economic challenges it faces. But it will not alter the direction of our development," he said.

Mr. Zuma’s rise from a cattle herder to one of the most powerful positions on the continent has raised hope among many South Africans, say commentators. But they also noted that he faces major challenges. Public-health worker unions are threatening to strike over poor pay and working conditions, and the powerful mining and car workers unions have also threatened to strike.

By Hayley Jarvis for SOS Children