SABC 1 interview with President Jacob Zuma following the State of the Nation Address, February 14 2010

Presenter (Tim Modise): President Jacob Zuma on his State of the Nation Address. The speech was given on the 11th of February 20 years to the day of Nelson Mandela's release in 1990. As always the President as Head of State spoke about a whole range of issues affecting South Africa. Good evening and welcome Mr President.

It's the second time that we speak following your State of the Nation Address and this is eight months into the job. I'm very curious to find out from you what the experience has been like since the last time we spoke and what your reflections are over the eight month period.

President Jacob Zuma:  It has been quite an experience, a challenge, firstly as you know we had to establish Government and this time around we thought for purposes of our effectiveness it was important to reconfigure some departments but also create new ones. Because we knew exactly what we wanted to do and that's what we did, and that of cause meant that we did not just come to Government, found it and just started moving. We had to change things, split Departments, do a number of things, that in itself has been quite an exciting challenge. I think we have gone over that, we also thought it was important to look at how can we make delivery quicker and faster but basically change the manner in which Government operate. I think we therefore worked very hard to try to look at what we need to do.

As you know for an example we went into a very huge exercise with regard to local government ending up with the turnaround strategy that we think we are on top of things, we can therefore change the manner in which local government operates.

We have also looked at the outcomes, that in order for us to be able to deliver, we need to give ourselves timelines so we can deal with things very seriously. As you would know, one of the things that we have done was to establish the Performance Monitoring and Evaluation unit which to us is critical to ensure that the timelines we are talking about and the general activity of Government is monitored and evaluated so that we do not have a situation where we could just sit and only see things or problems where at some point we finish the year or the Auditor-General gives a report saying this is how, and only then we begin to look at ourselves. We must be able to look at ourselves as we go along.

Presenter: Let's look at the symbolism of the State of the Nation Address; the 11th of February obviously just to mark and celebrate the release of former President Nelson Mandela 20yrs ago. But how is Government delivering on the promise of Madiba's vision?

President Jacob Zuma:  We are delivering on Madiba's vision: firstly what the ruling party is doing is what Madiba started. He was the first President of a democratic South Africa and many of the policies that we are pushing forward were in fact put down firstly by Madiba and of course the President that followed thereafter, President Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema for a short time. We are not coming as if it's another party, it's the same party. The thing that we are trying to do, [is] how best can we make our policies and our programmes to be implemented more effectively. I think that's what Madiba would want to see, but in addition to that Madiba, all his life has fought for South Africa that is in harmony with itself, that is united, that there is everything of a South African, saying I am a South African fully, nobody feeling I am not recognised as a full South African and therefore his message of reconciliation, working together. I think we have tried to follow the policies; we are in fact even adopting the stance of working with the opposition.

But what are the big issues that are really national issues, the bigger issues of the country that even if you belonged to another party you would say if was in Government, I was in charge, my party was the ruling party, what type of South Africa do I want. I am sure all of us wants a prosperous South Africa, we might differ on the route how to reach there and therefore to say how we can do that constructively, all of us. I think that is carrying out in fact the ideas that Madiba talks about.

Presenter: We are talking to President Jacob Zuma. Now we will be looking at some of the issues that he raised in his speech but first I would like to start with the theme. You called your speech the year of Action 2010. Not so long ago President Thabo Mbeki spoke about Business Unusual, I have been intrigued about that. What's the difference Business Unusual, Year of Action? How do you differentiate it?

President Jacob Zuma:  The Year of Action means, it actually fits into the thing that we have been talking about. You will recall that from the time we were campaigning we talked about the problem of slow things in Government, the wheel turned very slowly and we said we will change that. We must have a Government that can do things quicker and effectively and that's the theme we have been talking about. We are not saying it now; we have said it during the elections to say we want a Government that can do things quicker. We have now been sitting, and part of what I said earlier of reconfiguring Government is positioning ourselves and looks at how we could adopt a method where we work on the principle of outcomes, timelines and everything. All of that put together tells you we are changing the manner in which Government must operate and we are therefore saying we have done all the legwork, we are now ready to implement. So that's why we are calling it the Year of Action.

Presenter: Let's go back to the interview of last year and the speech that you made, talking about the job opportunities that will be created. Before we talk about job opportunities I would like to talk about the number of jobs that were lost or shed by the economy, over 900 000 jobs, and with a job market that has had a high unemployment for a long time. What do you think needs to happen in this economy to make a difference in the lives of many South Africans who are unemployed and have been unemployed for a long time?

President Jacob Zuma:  I think there are many things that need to be done. You would appreciate that the bigger percentage of the jobs that are not there, in other words the unemployed workers, is part of our legacy. You have a situation where our society ...to the majority of the people the question of the skills was not what people thought they should do; they felt the majority must not be skilled. Therefore you end up if you talk about today's unemployed people, a very big percentage of them are people who are in fact unemployable when the economy and technology had been developing, so that factor should not be forgotten. We are therefore saying how do we tackle this? Part of the fundamental and strategic approach is the emphasis and priority we have given to education and skilling of the citizens. That at the end contains the final answer. We can't say we will wait until everybody is [skilled], so what do we do now; we are therefore saying let us create the jobs so that we could absorb as many people as possible. And there are many things that we are doing, one of them is for an example the infrastructure that we have talked about which is adding on to the infrastructure we have been doing for 2010. We put aside about R800 billion to say this is what we are going to look at and I think that is an indication of our concrete plan that we have to ensure that we are able to absorb as much as possible of labour.

It is true that during the recession we lost 100 000 plus jobs, sorry 900 000 jobs that we lost. And this was because the economy was sick throughout the world, and we said at that very time - because we were faced with that situation - we will be trying to create job opportunities that we talked about. And we have said now the statistics that we are now beginning to employ, we are no longer shedding, but it's a challenge that everybody should accept, it's a challenge that faces all of us.

Presenter: There have been a range of proposals put on the table both within Government and outside Government, especially within the Tripartheid alliance. These things have been proposed to restructure the economy, nationalisation, on the one hand inflation targeting, nationalisation of the Reserve Bank, labour broking should be banned. Sometimes can be very confusing but what exactly is going on, what does Government want to do?

President Jacob Zuma:  I'm sure you are not saying Government exactly; you are talking about a number of people who have been speaking about these issues.

Presenter: In one instance for instance in the case of nationalisation, the Minister says something; she is in Government addressing the mining indaba for instance. Then somebody outside say no, that one's career is short-lived.

President Jacob Zuma:  The ANC has a traditional way of developing policy, whenever you go to the ANC national conference we have first a national policy conference where we debate issues, put them on the agenda, they are discussed by the branches and provinces and finally the national. There is no short-cut to policy in the ANC, you can't because we have got views today and say this is now policy. But of course individuals could raise issues to say we think this issue must be the issue that must be considered. It must of a necessity get into the conveyer belt of the policy formulation in the ANC. You can't say an issue that has not gone through that process then it is policy because you feel very strong about it. It is important for people to articulate that what for an example on nationalisation has happened is that the Youth [League] that has been raising this issue has been asked to prepare a document so that we could discuss it. So in no way can you talk about it as if it's policy, so when the Minister says there is no policy on this issue he is saying because there isn't any policy that has been adopted by the ANC to the Government and therefore the Government kind of policy. That is what we are saying; I think people sensationalise the issue because it's a very nice issue to discuss. Even those who know how we formulate policy, they then begin to debate it almost to want to say look you now have many policies. We don't have many policies, we are going to a national conference at some point and this issue will certainly get into the pot to be cooked. Even today, if for an example somebody felt very strongly that this issue must be discussed now, it has to go through the discussion and then we reach an agreement and consensus on the issue. It cannot be a policy before we agree, it does not also remove the fact that in the ANC documents the Freedom Charter that is often quoted, the issue was there. But as we started in 1994 when Madiba was the President, we adopted a particular stance in terms of the issue of the mixed economic policies. However, it does not remove, particularly within an experience, people have a view, as the Youth League has, that let this issue be discussed.

Presenter: The question of labour broking, there was talk that is it was going too banned completely, is it going to be?

President Jacob Zuma:  You have got to look at what the ANC said in its last national conference, it said this issue must be looked at. We needed to adjust it, we need to change it, and it cannot operate as it is but of course COSATU understandably is saying this issue must go. You can't also say that is a problem because COSATU has a very direct experience with regard to this issue as well as the party. We have a conference resolution with regard to the ANC which has said this is how this issue must be handled.

Presenter: There are two issues which are not nice to deal with: one is that of energy, the generation thereof and the cost implications, Eskom suggesting that the tariffs must be increased by 35%. What's your view about Eskom's position in terms of the tariff hike?

President Jacob Zuma:  In terms of the tariff hike as you know that issue is very serious but it is always decided by the regulators. But of course Eskom will present what it believes given its own knowledge of how the issue is a challenge. But you know that I talked about that in the State of the Nation Address; that we are setting up a Ministerial Committee to look at this because we are saying one of the problems is that at times Eskom is the player and the referee at the same time. We are creating a situation where this area of energy, which is so important, players must come in and participate. We are therefore going to articulate how this is going to happen so that we don't have Eskom doing everything. Even other independent concerns who could participate and help create a situation because if we do not do that, you are likely to get stuck on this issue of the high tariffs etc. because you are not having sufficient energy. So that is going to come out in details as the Ministerial Committee debates it.

Presenter: Now there is another part of Government that plays an active role in the economy and those are State Owned Enterprises. Many of them have vacancies especially at a leadership level, the CEOs have not been appointed for months on end, that's one part. The other part of the State Owned Enterprises is that they have taken so much money from the public purse, the fiscus, the bailouts that are estimated at over R200 billion. What should happen with that?

President Jacob Zuma:  You would also know that the ANC National Conference took a resolution on this issue and of cause we had to set up Government, we had to look at it, we had to move. We are very clear that we need to do something including a review, a total review very fundamental of the State Owned Enterprises because there are problems there that seem not be resolvable over a period as well as of cause as you know there has been leadership crisis, we are working on it to ensure that we deal with it properly. We believe that the fundamental review is important, because as you say there has been problems, not just for now, over a period whether you went to South African Airways or Transnet, whether we went to Eskom,. These problems are there so you need to resolve them fundamentally and we are in the process of addressing that. Because of its size as well it's not going to be resolved overnight, you have got to look at a number of things and ensure that they are able to do what they are suppose to do. Do we remain with them that are going to be in a sense recommendation that is going to merge when we reach the point of reviewing? Certainly you cannot continue with them like that, there is a problem, that problem is of the leadership, that's the problem we are looking at.

Presenter: How quickly do you think the leaders at these institutions need to be appointed?

President Jacob Zuma:  I think they need to be appointed very quickly, I can't put the timeframes because again I don't want to sit here as a Minister to say as if I know exactly what I need to do because I think the fact of the matter everybody agrees that there is a problem. You have acting positions for an example for a long time. It's clear that we have got to move in a bigger way as Government to address the issue and look at the leadership. We are going to be doing that not that we are doing anything about it, we are doing something about it, I would like to say now that these are the steps that we are going to be taking. But certainly we are looking at it and we are doing something to address that problem.

Presenter: A lot of talk about the National Health Insurance that is going to be introduced very soon but it looks like it's hitting some snags. How quickly do you think it's going to be introduced and what's happening on that side?

President Jacob Zuma:  Certainly, this is an issue we have been working on, it's very important that we establish that and I think we have done a lot of work. The reason why it is important is because the poor people are at the receiving end, it depends how much the means you have to get medical attention. If you are poor you could die. You know there are cases where doctors diagnose a sickness from a person and they believe and conclude this person needs an operation but the person does not have the money for operation and at the end the person dies when you know this person can be cured. I don't think the State can just look at that, we need to find a way to create security to poor people in particular. When people talk about the health insurance, they are looking at it from a different angle; others are looking at it as business. The State looks at it as how do you take care of the citizens, particularly the majority who are poor. So to us it is crucial that we establish the system.

Presenter: What should come first, is it the health insurance or the improvement of the quality of the healthcare system, because many people, the very poor people, will tell you that the State is letting them down at its own public hospitals, clinics, the morale is very low, attitudes are bad on the part of some of the people who work for the Government.

President Jacob Zuma:  Definitely that's why the issues as I have indicated yesterday, the specific time frames and outcomes we have put to Health Department and the specific things we have said are going to happen. I actually said yesterday the Minister will give details very soon of very specific things that we are going to do. For an example the renovation of hospitals is critical, the Minister will give the details. The question of the healthcare, we ate going back to the primary healthcare that is very necessary so that people don't sit with a lot of ailments only to find that they have got to go to hospitals later. On that issue we have worked out a ten point plan on the healthcare to deal with it. We are in fact even introducing it as I indicated yesterday that even at schools, the nurses are going to visit schools now as it used to happen before to ensure that kids are taught hygiene and everything. There are many things that we are doing; with that one there are very concrete plans that we have. It's not like this is what we think we are going to do, it's very specific and the timelines we will put on there.

Presenter: Let's look at education: very important issue in South Africa. The last time we spoke you said teachers must be in class teaching children learning seven hours a day, is that happening?

President Jacob Zuma:  That, fortunately, three of the unions have agreed that it is correct. I think again we have worked on the plans, the ten point plan on particularly basic education that is coming. We cannot continue the old way. We have for an example said Grade 3, Grade 6, Grade 9, and there have got to be tests, examination so that they are able. We don't just have kids getting to schools then we see them at the end of matric; we are able to monitor them as they grow that in fact what has been taught to them has been learned. We are talking about quality education that we have got to attend to the teachers who teach the kids so that they teach quality education themselves. It means there is a lot that we are going to do, we have clear plan on that one and as I am saying we are happy that teacher organisations agreed to this because activity at the heart of skills development, at the heart of education as a priority is how the Education Department operates. We are for an example going to bring back inspectors so that in schools inspectors could walk in at any time, teachers and principals must know. Those who are not going to be performing because we have as I said the Performance Monitoring and Evaluation, we are going to be monitoring all of that. There are no outcomes that are not going to be monitored clearly. That is one of the priorities that is one of the Department we have targeted.

Presenter: Rural development again very much at the centre of your approach to Government. I am wondering about the progress that you are making and we are trying to make sense of exactly what Government has in mind when it comes to rural development. Are there examples of the kind of rural communities we see emerging in South Africa under your leadership?

President Jacob Zuma:  Absolutely, I think again in the State of the Nation Address I touched on this issue, I indicated what we are doing, particularly in Limpopo there are specific areas we have gone to. What that department for an example has done has been to put together a number of departments, lead in specific areas. We even counted how many of the wards that we have actually impacted and said by 2014 we would have impacted to so many on the rural areas. So there is work going on there which to me has been amazing because that is a new department. One of the things that we have been doing was to construct it but at the same time it has been operating already. We are happy that there is something moving, the rural development is a massive task, it's not a simple task and we are taking all of that into account. But I think the enthusiasm of the department itself and what it is doing and the support that the departments are giving, I am satisfied that at the appropriate time we are going to be able to show very good results.

Presenter: There are a couple of challenges facing Government there; one is that of the ability to be economically viable, those rural communities on the one hand, economic activity. The other is the role of traditional leaders.

President Jacob Zuma:  Of course yes, the rural development is actually aimed at bringing about economic activities, so it's a question of what type of economic activities we are bringing. We actually had brought economic activities, I had gone to see projects in Limpopo which are now operating where communities have come together, it does not exclude traditional leaders. I actually met with them, with the community, everybody; they are all part of it. There is no contradiction because they themselves would like to see development; they are in fact calling for development, so there is no problem, there is no stress there. I think everybody is looking at what is there that we can do, how we could work together.

Presenter: This past year in the first State of the Nation Address Mr President, you said that the public service was going to be integrated in all spheres of government, national, provincial and local government, are you going to come up with a uniformed Public Service, any progress?

President Jacob Zuma:  That is being attended to, as I had said that the Department of Cooperative Governance is working on this, it's a crucial thing to do. You cannot have in one country different systems but they are all with Government, different three spheres of Government, it cannot work. That's why you end up with a situation where the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing, it's important that we must create a single civil service and also create a manner in which we are all working towards making South Africa a better country. That is why we have, for an example, established the Planning Commission so that we have a plan that everybody else in whatever level of Government you work towards achieving and that must be done by a kind of civil service that is doing one thing. We are working on it and I think it is coming alright.

Presenter: Is it possible to do that Mr President if you do not have so-called professional civil service because when a Cabinet Minister is appointed and he comes with his own Director-General, when an MEC is appointed she comes with her own Director-General as heads of Department, the Mayor appoints it own manager, it continues like that.

President Jacob Zuma:  I think in our country that is even better, there are countries, if you went to the United Kingdom, the old democracy, if you went to the United States, once the new party comes, everybody else goes and new people come. I know that people here make this a big issue, it's a question of how you have set your standards, how people are supposed to work and those people come with professionals. But the difference is that their countries are not like the developing world, they don't have a lack of skills, the skills are there. I think what here tends to introduce the issue is because there is a question of skills, people talk about people running away, etc., you don't have enough. Governments are about elections, elections are about parties that are supported by the majority of the people. At what point do you remove politics, I am talking about old democracies, politics s very strong there; as Ministers come they remove other civil servants and come with their own, they don't take people they don't know. And because we are a developing democracy people make a big issue about it. What I think we should be saying is let us introduce higher professional efficiency, that's what people should be calling for, not to say you can't put this one and that one. If we are working in Government and we have a professional, I don't think professionals, for an example, when they are employed they are asked what kind of political thing, I don't think that's a question, it's about profession.

Presenter: The political parties themselves, in this instance in part the ANC, would want cadres to be deployed by one department or the other to the extent that at branch level, especially local government, we learn of situations where the party structures interfere with the people who are already elected or appointed to positions.

President Jacob Zuma:  But you must have heard we have addressed that issue, we have said in public you cannot have political structures running government, you can't have that, it's wrong, you can't sit in a branch or any region and try to run the municipality. If you recall, I have spoken for an example about the need at a level of the municipalities to do what we do at the national and provincial [level] to separate the political responsibility from the Government and civil servants responsibility. We are talking that from that point of view because we believe the experience shows that in the process we have come across that, not that it's policy, people who have said for an example, people at times want to become branch chairperson or regional chairperson and then at the same time become councillors, become mayors or whatever. We are saying no, we have actually taken a position on that, let us separate this.

Presenter: All the same is happening even at provincial level in some instances, the North West is a good example.

President Jacob Zuma:  You are talking about an exception, because of some political issues.

Presenter: We learn of hit lists in Mpumalanga for instance, we have read about it, it's such a problem.

President Jacob Zuma:  I agree but this is part of what a government, a ruling government has to be dealing with all the time to put things right. Once they begin to show you must deal with things as you know. The ruling party is intervening in the North West, it's intervening precisely to address that question because there is a reason wherein political leaders tend to be wanting to lead the structures of government in the manner that it does not leave the professional space for people [who] are civil servants. We are addressing those issues where there is reason so I am saying it's not like a policy. The general point I was raising was that in countries throughout the world. once they come into power they want to see the civil servants or the people that come at a certain level. Of course generally they are professional people who are there and I think it's the same thing here because if you look at the civil service here you talk about a specific levels and individuals that have been put in.

Presenter: You spoke about Performance Monitoring and Evaluation of the Cabinet, senior Government officials and this was supposed to be implemented from last July. It looks like it's still being finalised, I'm not too sure how far that is. How is it going to work and when are we going to see the implementation thereof?

President Jacob Zuma:  As you know this is a new entity so you couldn't have it starting to operate at the same time, it's not possible. Again we want to do it properly to be effective whilst it is establishing itself, but it has started working. The fact of the matter that we are now talking about outcomes is part of the work that it is doing, so it is working already. I have said even to the Minister, this to me is going to be a huge entity because we have got it to monitor everything and to be sure that what we do we are very methodical, we are very clear what we are doing. If you listened to the State of the Nation Address I said people now are going to tell us how they are going to do what they are doing, with what, at what time. That tells you it has arrived and they are ready, that entity is ready to do that monitoring.

Presenter: What's going to happen if they don't do what they promise they will do?

President Jacob Zuma:  They all know nobody is going to sit who is not doing anything, that's why I said in the State of the Nation Address Ministers are going to sign agreements with the President.

Presenter: What about provincial leaders, MECs?

President Jacob Zuma:  It's going to happen as well, premiers will have to do the same.

Presenter: What happens if they don't do it?

President Jacob Zuma:  If they don't do, why do they stay in the job, they are not going to stay in the job, part of the reason is that once you are given timelines it means you must achieve that, if you don't achieve it how could you sit in a job which you are failing to do. It's very clear.

Presenter: Let's talk about corruption, the Head of the Special Investigations Unit Willie Hofmeyr complained in Parliament recently. He said the do their investigations, make recommendations to departments to take disciplinary action against individuals bit they never implement these recommendations.

President Jacob Zuma:  I'm not sure because as you heard that means some investigations are done, some are sent to Parliament to go through committees, whatever. I can't comment intelligently because I don't know the details, I don't know where the hiccups are. Because if you investigate you find that this is the situation, I would imagine if this is supposed to be undertaken by Government you give that to the government to take action immediately so that those that need to be disciplined are disciplined, those that need to be arrested are arrested. Once you take the matter to Parliament the Committee will meet on a particular day and start debating the matter. It has to take a longer time. I don't know the method, I don't want to criticise it because I would imagine if you are investigating a department and you discover that certain people are not working well, you indicate to the Minister give the report to the Minister so that the Minister acts. You then say Government is not acting, but if it goes to Parliament that's another arm of Government. I don't want to debate it because I don't know where the hiccups are. I have said when I was campaigning, I have said it now and I have said we are looking at the regulations, a quicker way of taking action against corruption. Because at the moment it's too roundabout, there are cases where people are actually suspended with pay and they will stay for more than a year getting a pay, no case, nothing. I have said let us find a shorter way of dealing with corruption and I am serious about it. Once a corruption case is filed it must be completed quicker and therefore that complaint must go away. What I am saying at the moment I don't have the details of such reports as to where they delayed in the process.

Presenter: 2010 associated with the World Cup, state of readiness. Any particular issues around the World Cup that you are concerned about and that you would like to share with us this evening?

President Jacob Zuma:  I think with regard to 2012 I think we have done very well as a country. We finished I think the bulk of the infrastructure about four months before the stipulated time. Very little has been said to recognise South Africa because I know that in developed countries you are left at times with about two weeks, people are still rushing and building and when people came, the paint and cement was still wet. Here we have finished long time ago; many of the stadiums are being used. I think we are ready to host the 2010 World Cup, I don't have anything to complain about, I think almost everything has been done. I even think that our team is ready, I know that many people have difficulties, I think they are ready, I have said so before, I still say so. I think they indicated a bit of that when they scored goals that you could count, gaols move from one hand to the other, when they met other countries. I think that was an indication that the problem which I had always said was a problem, they are resolving it. The problems was scoring gaols really, in soccer there is a standard; they are not below other standards, it was a question of scoring goals. I think we are there; I am convinced that we are ready in everything psychologically as a country as a country we are ready.

Presenter: Not so long ago the World Cup was built as an African World Cup implying that somehow Africa was going to be showcased through the World Cup and there are a whole number of issues on the continent that still needs to be resolved. From a South African perspective what do you think those issues are one, and two how do you turn the World Cup into an African World Cup.

President Jacob Zuma:  It's an African World Cup firstly that Africa must participate in many ways, not only just the teams, but also in many ways for an example, many countries that are neighbours of South Africa would be having teams training and camping there so that's part of participation. I think the leaders on the continent, quite a number of them will be here to receive the world that is coming here. Africa has accepted that, I was in the African Union a few weeks ago wherein this factor is accepted that this is an African World Cup, and it is an African World Cup from that point of view. I would image therefore that whatever else that is happening that is the overriding agreement to all of us that this is an African up.

Presenter: Mr President something personal to you that happened recently in the country and caused uproar as you are aware of, it's to do with your relationship with Miss Khoza and you have had time to reflect on this. How do you feel about the uproar that this has caused and what have you been reflecting on?

President Jacob Zuma:  I think I have commented on this issue, I have stated what needed to be stated. I don't think I would want to proceed and continue discussing that matter, I think I have made my position very clear. I think it will just be coming in and discussing the issue that I believe I have said enough, at least from my point of view.

Presenter: Were you surprised by this uproar do you think maybe the media or somebody confused the nation around this thing. Is there anything to learn anyway for all of us in South Africa?

President Jacob Zuma:  No, I think Tim if I commented on those issues I will be doing exactly as I say I don't think I would want to do, to comment and then want people to comment on what I am saying again., I think I have said enough so far.

Presenter: We have concluded 2010, you have given an upbeat speech but then again, as you know being a politician yourself, we say promises. Are you confident that all these promises will be achieved?

President Jacob Zuma:  I am confident, there is nothing that I can say we cannot do. Bear in mind that we have just had a tournament recently which was almost like a dress rehearsal wherein we hosted a number of countries, best soccer countries in the world and we did everything without an incident. I am very confident that we can do it. I have also said to people it's not the first time that we are hosting, we have hosted world tournaments in terms of cricket, and rugby so there is nothing that we don't know. We have not hosted the FIFA World Cup, it's the first time but I don't think can say we don't know what to do. I think the preparations so far are very good and I am confident that this country once again is going to surprise many.

Presenter: President Jacob Zuma thank you very much for having been our guest we very much appreciate your time.

President Jacob Zuma:  Thank you very much Tim.

Issued by: The Presidency, February 14 2010

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter