Cape Town - Government must do more to create jobs and boost the economy, opposition leaders said in the National Assembly on Thursday, following President Jacob Zuma's presentation of the Presidency's Budget Vote.
This despite Zuma saying there had been "visible progress" made in the government's identified priorities, including job creation and that the Industrial Policy Action Plan launched in February would create new decent jobs.
On the first-year anniversary of the new administration, the leader of the opposition Athol Trollip said the country was still awaiting a clear policy on job creation, following the loss of nearly one million jobs last year.
He also asked Zuma what had come of the two-tier labour dispensation for youth, announced by Minister Pravin Gordhan in his Budget Speech in February.
Trollip also said ministers were yet to show they were accountable to Parliament and called this a "disdain of Parliament and the Constitution".
He said his party, the DA would not hesitate to take those members to court that refused to be held to account.
Cope deputy president Mbhazima Shilowa said the country needed to move beyond social grant support and towards the creation of sustainable jobs, but pointed out that the government was focusing more on "bling" than jobs.
Shilowa said a ballooning expenditure on an expanded executive, spending on luxury cars, five-star hotel accommodation, the expensive state visit to the UK and the increase in the spousal support office, all hindered the government's ability to spend on the creation of economic opportunities.
He said ministers could still get away with murder because many were still involved with clinching tenders.
However, Shilowa said the World Cup was a chance for the country to "forge a national unity" and urged all South Africans to put their support behind Bafana Bafana.
He also welcomed the government's HIV testing campaign and the President's public AIDS test, adding that he agreed with the Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi that everything should be done to source cheaper ARV drugs for those with HIV.
IFP president Mangosuthu Buthelezi urged the President to create a free trade zone in Sub-Saharan Africa, which would increase the size of the immediate market available to businesses and offer more opportunities for local companies.
Buthelezi said South Africa should provide funding for infrastructure to other African countries, provided that the work was carried out by a South African business.
