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Planet Zuma: Somewhere in a galaxy far,

far away

16 February 2016Release: Immediate

Madam Speaker

President and Deputy President

Honourable Members

Fellow Sout !"ri#ans

$a%aetso

Dumelan%

Molweni

&oeiemidda%

$e"ore I be%in' I would like to o""er my tou%ts and prayers to te "amilies o" teworkers trapped under%round at te (ily Mine in Mpumalan%a)

*e #annot be%in to ima%ine your pain and an%uis tese past ele+en days) *e stand

wit you as a nation' and I old you and your lo+ed ones in my prayers)

Madam Speaker'

(ast week' wile ra,or wire was %oin% up around Parliament' and stun %renades were

dispersin% te #rowds' te President was tu#ked sa"ely away' somewere on Planet-uma)

Planet -uma is a pla#e in a parallel uni+erse' "ar' "ar away "rom te li+es o" ordinarySout !"ri#ans)

Planet -uma is a pla#e were a swimmin% pool is #alled a "ire pool)

It is a pla#e were all te #ontinents o" te world "it into !"ri#a)

It is a pla#e were te Finan#e Minister "lies e#onomy #lass' but te president buysimsel" a R. billion /et)

Planet -uma is a pla#e were a President #an repla#e an e#ellent Finan#e Minister wita ba#kben#er tat nobody as e+er eard o")

It is a pla#e were an international "u%iti+e wanted "or %eno#ide is wel#omed and %i+enre"u%e)

Planet -uma is a pla#e were youn% people wo stand up "or teir ri%t to learn aredismissed as part o" a tird "or#e and #ar%ed wit treason)

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It is a pla#e were mineworkers #an be massa#red by te poli#e' witout apolo%y andwitout #ompensation "or teir "amilies)

Planet -uma is were our President li+es' in a %alay "ar' "ar away "rom te li+es o"ordinary Sout !"ri#ans)

In is spee# on 3ursday' we learned more about Planet -uma tan te #ountry we li+ein)

4n Planet -uma' tere is no /obs #risis) 3is is wy' in te President5s spee#' we didn5tear anytin% about te )7 million Sout !"ri#ans wo are /obless)

4n Planet -uma' all #ildren a+e a##ess to a 8uality edu#ation) 3is must be wy tePresident didn5t mention basi# edu#ation on#e)

4n Planet -uma' our state owned enterprises are' in te words o" te President'

per"ormin% well)

!nd' on Planet -uma' e+ery problem #an be sol+ed by settin% up a 9ommittee' a 3ask3eam or a 9ommission o" In8uiry)

Madam Speaker' te President li+ed up to our epe#tations on 3ursday) *e epe#ted toear te empty words o" a man out o" tou# wit te people) !nd tat is wat we %ot)

*e knew wat to epe#t' but we #ame to listen anyway' and we stayed until te bitterend)

$e#ause tis is wat te Sout !"ri#an people epe#t o" us) 3ey epe#t us to be ere' in

tis Parliament' makin% it work)

(et me be #lear: we #ame to listen to te President out o" respe#t "or te 9onstitutionand te o""i#e e olds) $ut we did not #ome out o" respe#t "or a#ob -uma)

*e #annot respe#t a man wo puts imsel" and is ri# "riends "irst wile te people o"tis #ountry su""er)

*e #annot respe#t te man personally responsible "or te buildin% o" ;kandla and te"irin% o" ;lanla)

Madam Speaker' a#ob -uma is not an onourable man) $e#ause' i" e was anonourable man' e would do te onourable tin% and resi%n)

3e President is not alone on Planet -uma) Its %ra+itational pull is so stron% tat teentire !;9 as been su#ked into its orbit' and it #annot es#ape)

3e party tat was on#e te de"ender o" "reedom as now be#ome te de"ender o" /ustone man)

Make no mistake: tere are many %ood people in te !;9' and many o" tem sit ere ontese ben#es) !nd tere are still some e#ellent 9abinet Ministers wo do a %ood /ob indi""i#ult #ir#umstan#es)

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So' wen te President spoke on 3ursday ni%t' we #ould see ow pain"ul it was "or teonourable members seated on my ri%t)

*e noti#ed te %lum "a#es and muted applause on te !;9 ben#es)

*e saw 9abinet members win#e as te President laboured is way trou% is spee#)

!nd wo #an blame temou sould be asamed)

In 1?7' te %reat no+elist' 9inua !#ebe' said te "ollowin% about is nati+e ;i%eria:

The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership. There is nothingbasically wrong with the Nigerian character. There is nothing wrong with the Nigerianland or climate or water or air or anything else. The Nigerian problem is theunwillingness or inability of its leaders to rise to the responsibility, to the challenge of

personal example, which are the hallmarks of true leadership.

Mr !#ebe #ould a+e been writin% about our own #ountry)

$e#ause tere is notin% wron% wit te Sout !"ri#an #ara#ter) 3ere is notin% wron%wit our #ountry and te people wo li+e ere) $ut tere is a lot wron% wit our

leadersip)

Mr President' let us rewind to a "ew days be"ore te State o" te ;ation !ddress' wenyour ;kandla #ase was eard in te 9onstitutional 9ourt)

>ou weren5t pysi#ally in te do#k' but you may as well a+e been) >ou were on trial "or

sub+ertin% our 9onstitution' #orruptin% our Parliament' underminin% te 4""i#e o" tePubli# Prote#tor and +iolatin% your own oat o" o""i#e)

!"ter all tose years o" stallin%' lyin%' du#kin% and di+in%' it took te 9ourt /ust ours tounra+el your web o" de"ian#e and de#eit)

3rou% a strin% o" etraordinary #on#essions in #ourt' your le%al team e""e#ti+elyrele%ated your #au#us to its #urrent position: under te pro+erbial bus)

$e"ore tat ben# o" esteemed /ud%es tere was simply nowere to ide)

;ow tat you a+e been eposed in te nation5s i%est #ourt' it remains to be

determined ow mu# you will pay)

$ut ere5s te tin%: wate+er te amount' it will be notin% #ompared to wat te

people o" tis #ountry a+e already paid "or your presiden#y)

Instead o" redressin% te stru#tural ine8ualities o" aparteid' you built yoursel" a bi%ouse on te ba#ks o" poor Sout !"ri#ans)

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$ut your /ob is to "i it) ;ot o+erni%t) ;obody is epe#tin% mira#les) *e /ust epe#t our#ountry to mo+e in te ri%t dire#tion)

Fellow Sout !"ri#ans'

3ere isone part o" our #ountry mo+in% in te ri%t dire#tion) It is a pla#e were te li"eo" ea# and e+ery #iti,en matters)

It is a pla#e were te stru#tural ine8ualities o" te past are bein% rolled ba#k)

It is a pla#e were' e+ery day' pro%ress is made towards a "air so#iety)

It is a pla#e were te D! %o+ernment #ut te perks and pri+ile%es o" politi#ians) *ere

te #ost o" ministerial +ei#les was slased in al"' were blue li%t bri%ades werebanned and e#onomy #lass "li%ts are te norm)

!nd please note' President -uma' tese #ost@#uttin% measures weren5t implemented

be#ause te e#onomy was in meltdown) 3ey were implemented be#ause we don5t tinkpoliti#ians are more important tan oter people)

It is a pla#e were o+er two tirds o" te 9ity o" 9ape 3own5s bud%et is spent in poor#ommunities' and were te poor re#ei+e te most %enerous pa#ka%e o" "ree water andele#tri#ity in te entire #ountry)

Dis 5n plek waar die re%erin% +ir al die mense werk)(t*s a place where the go-ernment works for all the people%

It is a pla#e were' to %row te e#onomy and #reate /obs' te %o+ernment "o#uses on%ettin% te "undamentals ri%t: #lean %o+ernment' poli#y #ertainty' in"rastru#ture

de+elopment' support "or entrepreneurs and a%%ressi+e tar%etin% o" in+estment)

! pla#e were "ewer people are unemployed and more people are ope"ul o" "indin% a

/ob)

It is a pla#e were te ine8uities in te ealt system are "inally bein% undone B not by

una""ordable new s#emes tat will bankrupt te system' but by sound' #lean%o+ernment tat deli+ers better ealt#are "or te poor)

! pla#e were te "irst new ospitals built by te D! %o+ernment were in Aayelitsaand Mit#ells Plain B areas ne%le#ted "or two de#ades by te !;9)

It is a pla#e were %ettin% te basi#s ri%t pays di+idends) *ere te matri# pass rateimpro+ed last year to .)C B te i%est in Sout !"ri#a B wile te pass rates in e+ery

oter pro+in#e de#lined)

It is a pla#e were te pass rate in s#ools in te most impo+erised areas in#reased"rom EC under te !;9 to C7 under te D!)

! pla#e were tis year' "or te "irst time' e+ery matri#ulant wo passed 8uali"ied "ora##ess to some "orm o" tertiary edu#ation' and al" o" tem "or uni+ersity entran#e)

Mr President' wile you and your #ronies are on Planet -uma' weare ere were te

people are) *e are impro+in% people5s li+es' step by step and day by day)!nd we are makin% pro%ress)

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ames $aldwin' te renowned !meri#an no+elist and #i+il ri%ts a#ti+ist' on#e said: Themost dangerous creation of any society is the man who has nothing to lose.

Mr President' your ne%le#t as #reated a so#iety o" )7 million /obless people' many witnotin% le"t to lose)

3e time is #omin% soon wen tey will sweep you and your #ronies out o" o""i#e' and+ote in a new %o+ernment) ! %o+ernment #ommitted to buildin% a "air so#iety' were

e+ery #ild as a #an#e to be te best tey #an be)

!nd wen wedeli+er our inau%ural State o" te ;ation !ddress' it will sound +erydi""erent to yours' President -uma)

*e will announ#e a number o" measures to turn our e#onomy around and li"t people outo" po+erty)

*e will #ut te si,e o" your bloated #abinet in al"' sa+in% R.)C billion)

*e will pri+atise our "ailin% state owned enterprises' be%innin% wit S!! and =skom wo%u,,le billions o" Rands e+ery year)

*e will make Sout !"ri#a a nation o" entrepreneurs by #uttin% red tape and pro+idin%more support and trainin% "or small businesses)

*e will impro+e $la#k =#onomi# =mpowerment so tat it rewards #ompanies tat in+estin teir workers and #reate /obs' instead o" simply re@empowerin% te same #onne#tedindi+iduals)

*e will turn $asi# =du#ation around be"ore we lose anoter %eneration o" bla#k #ildren)

*e5ll do so by %i+in% tea#ers te support and trainin% tey need to e8uip our #ildren to#ompete in te %lobal knowled%e e#onomy)

*e will in#rease ;SF!S "undin% "or poor students so tat no 8uali"yin% student is denied"urter edu#ation be#ause tey #annot a""ord it)

*e will make #ommunities sa"er by puttin% 2E0'000 properly trained poli#e o""i#ers onte streets)

*e will "i%t %an%sterism and dru%s by re@instatin% te ;ar#oti#s $ureau and buildin%more reabilitation #entres)

*e will sa+e R70 billion per year by #uttin% #orruption and "irin% #orrupt o""i#ials)

*e will in+est at least 10 o" &DP in te in"rastru#ture +ital "or e#onomi# %rowt)

*e will dedi#ate an etra R10 billion to speed up land re"orm' pro+ide trainin% andsupport "or emer%in% "armers' and roll out "arm e8uity s#emes tat %i+e workers

ownersip o" te land tey work on)

*e will a##elerate te issuin% o" title deeds to %i+e people assets and redress past land

ownersip)

!nd we will de#lare te drou%t a national disaster so tat we #an ur%ently prote#t our"ood se#urity)

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$e#ause we understand tat elpin% our "armin% #ommunities is more important tanbuyin% new #ars "or traditional leaders' or remodelin% ministers5 o""i#es)

3is is ow we will build a sa"e' prosperous and in#lusi+e Sout !"ri#a' and prepare our#ountry "or a #an%in% world)

*e will arness te "ull potential o" te Sout !"ri#an people) $e#ause' a%ainst all odds'ordinary people are a#ie+in% etraordinary tin%s)

It5s te tea#er wo works ard e+ery day to upli"t poor #ildren)

It5s te poli#eman wo risks is li"e to sa"e%uard is #ommunity)

It5s te entrepreneur wo must battle impossible re%ulations to keep er business a"loat)

It5s te unemployed parent wo doesn5t stop lookin% "or a way to take #are o" er "amily)

Ima%ine wat tey #ould do i" tey ad a %o+ernment tat worked fortem instead o"against tem)

Mr President' in your parallel uni+erse I5m sure your State o" te ;ation spee# woulda+e been /ust "ine) $ut ere' in te real world' it /ust didn5t #ut it)

4n Planet -uma you #an pretend te s#ools are workin%' tat in+estors are linin% upand state owned enterprises are tri+in%) $ut in te real world' none o" tose tin%s aretrue)

4n Planet -uma you #an #arry on dismissin% te aspirations o" youn%' bla#k Sout

!"ri#ans) >ou #an keep on betrayin% teir opes "or a bri%ter "uture' and %o+ern as i"teir li+es don5t matter) $ut ere in te real world' ea# one o" tose li+es really matters)

Here in te real world we need a President and a %o+ernment tat ser+e all te people o"Sout !"ri#a)

*e need a President wit a +ision' and te power to unite people B bla#k and wite B instri+in% "or tis +ision) $e#ause we are better to%eter) *e prosper to%eter)

*e need a President wo is an eample to is %o+ernment' and to te nation)

*e need a President wo is in tou# wit te people)

*e need a President wo puts te people "irst' and imsel" last)

>ou' sir' are not tat President)

I tank you)