CAPE TOWN, South Africa - President Thabo Mbeki pledged in his annual state of the nation address Friday to increase police numbers, improve the private security industry and reduce court backlogs in an effort to reduce crime in South Africa.

In his speech to the parliament, Mbeki sought to calm criticism that the government was doing too little to fight crime, and highlighted the country's progress in overcoming the legacy of apartheid and easing poverty and deprivation.

He said the economy grew for 4.5 percent during the past two and a half years - the highest since the advent of multiparty democracy in 1994. Investment increased by 11 percent during that time, he said, and about half a million jobs were being created every year.

Even so, official unemployment is high at 26 percent - and in reality may be more than 40 percent, as the statistics do not include people who are not actively looking for work, or who survive in the informal sector.

Much more needs to be done, he said, noting that about 11 million poor South Africans - about a quarter of the population - still depend on social grants, and 8 million people are without drinking water, after 13 years of multiparty democracy.

South Africa has one of the worst violent crime rates in the world - 50 people a day are murdered. In response to that, Mbeki said the government would try to boost cooperation between the police and the massive private security sector.

The government wants to increase the number of police officers to 180,000 - up from 152,000 - within the next three years, he said.

Mbeki - scheduled to stand down in 2009 - devoted just one paragraph of his 18-page speech to the burning issue of HIV/AIDS, saying the government would intensify the campaign against the pandemic and improve treatment, prevention and care.