Cape Town - Expectations are high as President Jacob Zuma prepares to deliver the State of the Nation Address in Parliament this evening.
Zuma will deliver the address to a packed joint sitting of Parliament, which is expected to be attended by, among others, former President Thabo Mbeki, diplomats and a host of other dignitaries.
The address takes place every year in February and will be broadcast live on both SABC 1 and Etv and some SABC radio stations from 7pm.
Much has been said in recent months about job creation and the President is expected to outline government's medium term priorities for the next five years, including the creation of work, fighting crime and improving health and education services.
With Statistics South Africa announcing a drop of 1.3 percent in unemployment in the past year, government will be hoping to explore ways to improve this.
The ruling ANC said this week it expected Zuma to elaborate on the party's job creation drive for the next five years.
The ruling party is confident that in the next 10 years, the economy will be able to create about five million new jobs and thus reduce the unemployment rate from the present 25 percent to at least 15 percent.
It foresees job creation in at least five clusters - namely, infrastructure such as energy, transport, water, housing and ICT, and main economic sectors such as agriculture agro-processing and mining, including the green economy.
Trade union federation Cosatu said it expects the President to continue to implement the priorities outlined in the ANC election manifesto, which were aimed at achieving major reforms and improvements in job creation, education, health, rural development, food security and land reform and the fight against crime and corruption.
It said it was essential that the speech contains concrete plans to translate these commitments into "real changes" on the ground.
"Job creation must remain the number one priority in the President's speech, as it was at the ANC and government lekgotlas. We have welcomed the publication of the New Growth Path document and hope that the government has noted Cosatu's response, and that the speech will take on board the improvements to the policy we are recommending."
