South Africa:President Thabo Mbeki has responded to critics of his stance on South Africa's crime problem, promising 30,000 new police officers within three years and a fresh shake-up of the criminal justice system.
In his eagerly-awaited state of the nation address, Mr Mbeki rejected talk of a crisis surrounding violent crime, claiming that the incidence of most crimes, including robbery, assault and murder, had fallen.
However, he said, the annual reduction rate was lower than the 7- 10 per cent targeted.
Mr Mbeki, who delivered his speech at the opening of parliament in Cape Town yesterday, had been under pressure to make a strong statement about the government's intent to fight violent crime.
This follows a spate of high-profile murders, and renewed attempts by business leaders to focus the government's attention on the issue.
"We must continue and further intensify the struggle against crime," said Mr Mbeki, who had recently been branded a "denialist" on the issue by certain business, political and media interests.
The president said the government had already surpassed its target of 152,000 police officers, and this would increase to more than 180,000 by 2010, when South Africa is due to host the Fifa World Cup.
He also pledged to improve pay and working conditions for the police, introduce new technology to help investigators, and improve the functioning of the judiciary - an institution that has been transformed since the end of the apartheid era.
Mr Mbeki, however, stopped short of moving his justice minister to a new portfolio. He also gave his backing to beleaguered chief of police Jackie Selebi, who listened to the speech from the public gallery.
In an hour-long speech, the president said: "The struggle to eradicate poverty has been and will continue to be a central part of the national effort to build the new South Africa," said Mr Mbeki, who broke from tradition by failing to garnish his address with a single quote from either Shakespeare or WB Yeats.
The national address is seen as an indicator of the government's priorities for the year ahead.
Mr Mbeki stuck to form by only briefly referring to HIV/Aids and neglecting to mention Zimbabwe altogether.
The president did find time to cover a number of other regional trouble-spots, including Somalia, to which he pledged "appropriate" assistance.
Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon welcomed what he described as Mr Mbeki's "honesty" about some of the failings of governments. However, he said, the president's response to the crime epidemic was "almost bureaucratic rather than the passionate, strong leadership that I think South Africans are wanting".
Rev Kenneth Meshoe, leader of the African Christian Democratic Party, said he was disturbed by low priority given to HIV/Aids.