Better late than never: Zuma arrives at Vula launch after excuses made for his absence
President Jacob Zuma, feared to be a no-show at the official opening of KwaZulu-Natal's grand plans to radically alter its economy, did turn up in the end. Zuma was to lead the launch of Operation Vula and the Radical Agrarian Socio-Economic Transformation programmes in Ixopo, outside Pietermaritzburg on Tuesday. KwaZulu-Natal Premier Willies Mchunu apologised for Zuma’s no-show‚ however, saying he had to attend to urgent business. It was believed Zuma was at an ANC NEC meeting in Gauteng. But Zuma arrived at about 3pm. The programmes are an attempt to address the skewed economic make-up of the region through the empowerment of the previously disenfranchised. Operation Vula seeks to localise the economy by exploiting government buying power to procure from small-, medium-and micro-sized enterprises and co-operatives. It will target blacks‚ women‚ the youth and people with disabilities. The province also wants to improve the participation of small-scale farmers from historically unde...
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