Zuma promises jobs

New South African President Jacob Zuma has promised to create half a million jobs this year.



In his first state of the nation address, Mr. Zuma declared fighting poverty as his first priority.



His comment comes a week after the country announced that it’s facing its worst recession in 17 years.



Zuma has also promised to provide anti-retroviral HIV drugs for 80 percent of those in need by 2011.



He says this will be done as part of efforts to reduce by 50 per cent the rate of new HIV infections within that period.



Mr Zuma, whose African National Congress Party (ANC) was swept into power in the April elections, has also cautioned against expectations of a quick fix to the financial slump.