S/Africa has good reason to celebrate 2014 – Zuma – StarAfrica.com

South African President Jacob Zuma, in his end of the year statement, on Friday heaped praise on his administration’s achievements over the years, urging his compatriots to “look forward to a successful and productive 2015.” In the statement titled ‘Good Reason To Celebrate,’ Zuma said:

We are about to draw the curtain on the year 2014, a landmark year marking 20 years of freedom and democracy in our country.

We have good reason to celebrate. In only two decades, we have transformed an undemocratic, unrepresentative and an oppressive state serving a minority, into a unitary and non-racial democratic state answerable to and representative of all South Africans.

We have also expanded access to basic social services, especially to the black majority, which had been excluded before because of their race.

Zuma noted that his African National Congress administration came into office in May 2014 with an overwhelming mandate of more than 62 percent.

We made a commitment to work with all to move South Africa forward and a lot of progress has been made, he said.

He told the nation: Last week I signed performance (and accountability) agreements with all ministers which will guide their ministries and entities reporting to the ministries on agreed targets until 2019,the year of the next general elections.

Zuma also noted that as we end the year, the country is on track to achieve most of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals by the 2015 deadline.

He said: We have made good progress with the eradication of extreme poverty, the achievement of universal primary education, attaining gender equality and the empowerment of women.

We are reducing maternal and child mortality and continue to mobilize global partnerships for development.

Our country has scored dramatic successes in the fight against HIV and AIDS. To date, 2.7 million South Africans are on antiretroviral treatment, which has improved life expectancy.

In the crucial health sector, Zuma said a total of 3,590 public health facilities are now initiating patients on antiretroviral treatment compared to 490 in February 2010.

One of our greatest success stories is the remarkable 67% reduction of mother-to-child transmission of HIV from 8% in 2008 to 2.6% in 2012, he added.

In this regard, some 20 million people have to date been tested for HIV through the HIV Counselling and Testing Campaign, launched by the President in 2010.

This indicated that the stigma around the disease is being eradicated which will assist prevention efforts, the President said.

In addition, Zuma said, the country has moved ahead with the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP), which has been mainstreamed into his government’s programme of action for the next five years of his administration.

Zuma concluded: We thank all citizens and all sectors for their contribution to the successes of 2014, and look forward to a successful and productive 2015.

Signature : APA

Copyright : © APA