President Jacob Zuma says the economy needs to grow by five percent to create more jobs.
Zuma, who was discussing his State of the Nation (SONA) Address at a New Age business breakfast briefing in Cape Town this morning, says the weak currency is not the result of poor government policies.
He says South Africans have to work together so the economy can grow.
The president says the global economic climate is affecting the rand’s performance and not government’s policies.
Looking forward, Zuma says his government has been working on a new medium-term strategic framework so that the new administration after the elections can hit the ground running.
The president also hit back at critics of his administration this morning, saying his government is still dealing with the legacy of apartheid.
“Even today, when people liken South Africa to other countries, they forget that we come from institutionalised racism. If you forget that, you live in your own world.”
Zuma says the country is indeed moving forward.