President Zuma tags 2014 a special year in his New Speech to South Africans

President Jacob Zuma said in his New Year speech that South Africa has come to the end of a special year, which marked 20 years of freedom and progress made in building a united, democratic, non-racial, non-sexist and prosperous nation.   He said South Africa is a much better place to live in today than it was before 1994, and that the lives of millions of people have improved since the ANC took power.

 

Zuma said: "SA held a successful and vibrant national general elections that reaffirmed South Africa as a stable democracy, with a firmly entrenched human rights culture."

He said the improvement of the quality of life and access to basic services and economic opportunities, especially for the poor and the black majority was continuing.

Zuma said many schools were built and health and social services have been upgraded.

He said the government had: "Moved further in improving science, technology and innovation, promoting investments in the economy and in expanding our political and economic relations with the world."

He highlighted the milestone of 11 million connections to electricity since 1994.

The state has taken measures to "assist and revitalise state owned enterprises that are facing difficulties so that they can play their important role in economic transformation".

Zuma concluded his speech by saying: "2015 marks the 60th  anniversary of the Freedom Charter, the fundamental policy document of the governing party, the ANC.

"The preamble of the Constitution, like that of the Freedom Charter, reminds us that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white."

The president wished all a happy, productive and prosperous 2015.