Pretoria - PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA on Friday assured Tshwane residents that the government was serious about combating corruption.
Addressing the National Council of Provinces’ “Taking Parliament to the people” programme in Soshanguve, Zuma said: “We are fighting it. Many people have been arrested and some are on trial.
“During apartheid corruption was never fought. No one ever talked about corruption before 1994.
“Therefore it cannot be correct to say these people are corrupt.”
Zuma described such talk as propaganda by people who had no responsibility because they weren’t in government.
“We know some of them.
“We know the people who say these things and it is important to put things in perspective.
“It is not true that things were better before 1994.
“It is not true that things have not happened.
“Why should we listen to them? We have done wonders.”
Zuma said South Africans were a special people but there are still challenges.
“We have never claimed victories only.
“There is no country that has liberated itself that was able to have such delivery. Instead, some countries are worse off.
“No other country has a national development plan that is accepted by everyone.”
Speaking about the booing of Western Cape Premier and DA leader Helen Zille in Saldanha Bay during the launch of the Industrial Development Zone, Zuma said: “Yesterday (Thursday), I stopped people who did not want somebody to speak. Allowing people to speak is the essence of democracy.”
He said people should be tolerant “even if we do not agree with what they have to say”.
Zille, Saldanha mayor Francois Schippers and Western Cape Economic Development MEC Alan Winde left the event before Zille could speak.
Zille was to give the welcoming address when she was heckled by people in ANC T-shirts in front of Zuma.
The president said although there were challenges with unemployment, the government had registered victories. “Employment has grown at an unprecedented rate of 308 000 new jobs in the quarter ending in September 2013.
“These figures reflect the highest rate of new jobs in 22 quarters and further lift the overall figures of people in employment in South Africa to over 14 million. The people of Gauteng, Tshwane and Soshanguve have been the biggest beneficiaries of the phenomenal jobs growth registered,” Zuma added.
Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane said: “Twenty-one years ago, we did not know what Parliament was. No Parliament would come to our communities. Those who we bring to our communities act as if these things happened 19 years ago.”
She said no one was discriminated against in Gauteng. “We do not say you are a foreigner, or you are from another province and we cannot help you. Our services are for everyone.
“Our people in Gugulethu (Western Cape) cannot go across a railway line to get health-care services unless they can show a rates bill.”
Zuma encouraged residents to appreciate South African democracy and stressed that their inputs were important. “You can wake up any day and say ‘this president is XYZ’. That is not done in other countries.
“If it was before 1994, you could end up on Robben Island.
“Do not listen to people who exaggerate things and are negative.
“You’ll be unhealthy.
“Or you might miss the point and choose people who do not have policies and just talk and talk.
“Don’t be misled, South Africa is a wonderful place, absolutely,” Zuma said.
Pretoria News Weekend