By Africa Check
Africa Check sorted fact from fiction in the tenth State of the Nation address South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma delivered.
Amidst unprecedented security measures, South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma delivered what would likely be his last State of the Nation Address on 9 February 2017. We fact-checked his speech.
Energy
Claim
“To date, nearly 7 million households have been connected to the grid and now have the electricity.”
Verdict
correct
South Africa’s development indicators showed that 6,340,321 households had been connected to the grid as of 2013/14. A further 233,455 were connected in 2014/15 and 231,012 were connected in 2015/16. Figures for 2016/17 have yet to be released.
Zuma’s claim is correct based on these figures. They show that a total of 6,804,788 households – nearly 7 million – were connected as of 31 March 2016.
As of 2016, 90,3% of South African households had access to electricity for lighting.
Education
Claim
Among the participating countries [in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study] South Africa has shown the largest improvement of 87 points in mathematics and 90 points in science.
Verdict
correct
The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is conducted every 4 years and provides participating countries with the means to compare pupil performance in maths and science.
Grade 4 and Grade 8 pupils are tested in most of the countries that take part in the study. However, in South Africa Grade 5 and 9 pupils are tested.
The 2015 study found that South Africa’s Grade 9 pupils recorded the “biggest positive change”. There was an improvement of 90 points in science and 87 points in mathematics.
The report goes on to note that “South Africa started with very low-performance scores in 2003 and this upward shift translates to an overall performance improvement by approximately two grade levels between 2003 and 2015”.
While South African Grade 9 pupils did record a large improvement, in comparison to other countries they fared badly. Out of the 39 countries assessed, South Africa’s Grade 9 students placed 38th for mathematics performance and 39th for science performance.