‘It’s not business as usual’- The Diary of a New MP

It is an interesting time to be a new Member of Parliament (MP) because our political dynamics have changed.

No political party won these elections and, as the president said in his inaugural address, it is time to move the country forward collectively as different political parties because that is how people voted.

They have forced us into collaborating so that we finally get to a point where decision-making is geared towards service delivery, and ensuring that we restore the dignity of all South Africans.

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The Democratic Alliance (DA) is part of the Government of National Unity (GNU) and, for the first time, the rest of the country will get to experience what the DA has been delivering in places like Midvaal, Kouga, uMngeni, and the province of the Western Cape.

They will make informed decisions about the DA’s good governance and impeccable service delivery from lived experience.

The enemy will ‘fail’

It would be our responsibility as this new administration to ensure that no one is left behind as we strive to build a non-racist, non-sexual South Africa.

We need to go back and remind ourselves of what we can achieve if we come together and embrace our differences.

This was my key take from the President’s inaugural speech, especially now when other disgruntled political parties seek to threaten our democracy and are using the race narrative to divide us as a nation.

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These parties use hate speech and threats that low-key allude to the incitement of violence, disruption, and chaos. In the words of President Ramaphosa: “They will fail”.

I look forward to being on a committee where I will play stringent oversight and hold the government accountable for any transgressions.

The journey ahead will not be easy

I am pleased to be the first person from the DA in the Vaal to represent my region at the National Assembly.

I plan to be at the forefront of issues that affect my community.

South Africa suffers from high unemployment, shocking crime statistics, corruption, and infrastructure that continues to collapse across provinces.

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I look forward to making history as part of a government that will rescue South Africa.

The journey ahead will not be easy but eventually, the country will be on track.

The DA will continue to ensure that the key pledges we made in our manifesto promise to create jobs, end load shedding, and water shedding, reduce violent crime, alleviate poverty, tackle corruption to build a capable state and improve public education and healthcare.

Now that the theatrics, costumes, and opulent celebrations of the inauguration are over, we need to be aware that it’s not business as usual.

South Africans are counting on us to bring them a new dawn of prosperity.

• Tumelo Ramongalo is a DA MP who was sworn in last Friday.