Not surprisingly, critics and opposition politicians found much to disparage and little to like in Jacob Zuma’s ambitious State of the Union speech. Independent Newspapers Group Deputy Political Editor Gaye Davis thinks that above all Zuma desperately needs a better speechwriter. The Democratic Alliance (DA), Independent Democrats (ID) and Congress of the People (COPE) have been deeply critical, but then again Zuma could have given the greatest speech in the country’s history (he did not, by the way) and it would be the opposition’s job to oppose. In other quarters the response has been lukewarm.
In the end, of course, a State of the Union speech is a political exercise, and so by their nature the responses are political as well. What will matter is whether Zuma will be able to carry out his agenda, and whether his recent personal issues will weaken his presidency.