There can be little doubt that the past year has been the most trying in Thabo Mbeki's oft-tumultuous presidency. Tonight he gave his State of the Union address before parliament. He certainly had plenty of fodder from which to work: The electricity crisis, crime, poverty, the daunting prospect of hosting the 2010 World Cup, and simply a general sense of malaise.
Mbeki provided a positive spin, called for the nation to pull together to confront the issues facing South Africa, and praised his countrymen for their resilience in the face of recent difficulties, especially the power delivery nightmare.
The response to Mbeki's optimism has been skepticism in many, but far from all, circles. Helen Zille, leader of the Democratic Alliance, whose job it is to be critical, took her job seriously, criticizing the president for “business as usual.” The editors of The Mail & Guardian approached Mbeki's address fatalistically as did other observers. One imagines that those critics were likely not placated by Mbeki's address and that Mbeki's supporters found much with which to be pleased. In other words, status quo ante is likely to prevail.
