The Good Story ended when Jacob Zuma was Elected

Today, the presidency presented a twenty year composite review of the performance of the government since South Africa's first democratic elections. 

Executive accountability is important in democracy, and we will be closely studying its findings including the quantitative methodology used. We will release a detailed response. 

President Zuma provided a lengthy introduction on the achievements of the first five years of democracy. 

President Nelson Mandela's huge achievements in redressing the wrongs of apartheid and in reconciling South Africans are indisputable. Equally undisputed is the fact that South Africa is a much better place to live in than it was prior to 1994.  

The DA also acknowledges that there was a line of quality leadership from May 1994 to September 2008 when President Mbeki was recalled. In the first few years of President Mbeki's administration, the economy grew, jobs were created and inequality fell. 

These successes are celebrated by the DA and all freedom loving South Africans.

But it is clear that the nation's current leaders are not able to provide the leadership required to continue that progress. 

Since President Zuma's election, much of the progress we could be most proud of in early years has begun to be reversed. 

Mr Zuma did not take responsibility for the economy's deterioration since he took office. Today the president disingenuously bracketed his term in office with that of his predecessors because he knows that the Jacob Zuma presidency is not a good story to tell.  

Significantly, the president was unable to identify one economic or social marker which has improved since he took office.

Since Mr Zuma came to power, the South African political economy has become characterized by increasing corruption and declining accountability - both of which inevitably go hand in hand with widening inequality and poverty.

The evidence is unmistakable:

Under Zuma's time in office, the number of unemployed South Africans has grown by a staggering 365 750 per year.

From 2009 through to 2013, the number of discouraged workers nearly doubled to reach 2.2 million by the 3rd quarter in 2013. 

Unemployment has risen from 23.5% to the current levels of 25.6% in terms of the narrow definition of unemployment. And it has risen from 32.4% to 36.8% in terms of the expanded definition that includes discouraged work seekers.

In the fourth year of Mr Zuma's presidency, GDP growth dropped to below 2%. 

In the last five years South Africa has dropped 17 positions on the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index.  

Simply put, the "good story" South Africa has to tell ended when President Zuma became president. 

But the problem is not South Africa: the nation is strong, but the government is weak.

Today's diagnosis of South Africa in 2014 seemed fairly accurate, but the policy prescriptions to solve the country's big problems were glaringly absent.

The DA is the only party with a plan to build on the foundations laid in the first 15 years of democracy. 

Together, we can overcome Mr Zuma's failed presidency. 

If elected to national government, the DA will increase economic growth to 8% to create 6 million REAL jobs in the next ten years. Over the next eight weeks of the general election campaign, the DA will explain how we will build a more prosperous and fairer country.  

Statement issued by DA leader, Helen Zille, March 11 2014

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