IFP to prioritise South Africans for job and trade opportunities

For the next three weeks until election day on 1 November, The Citizen is opening space for political parties and independent candidates to promote themselves and their platforms in their own words.

• To level the playing field, all parties and independent candidates will answer the same five questions in a maximum of 150 words per question.
• Today the Inkatha Freedom Party has its say.

1. Complete the statement:

I believe the Inkatha Freedom Party is the best to elect to run municipalities because…

…the IFP’s track record of good governance speaks for itself. In district municipalities such as Zululand and uMzinyathi, we provide sustainable clean water.

In municipalities such as Nkandla, Nongoma, Ulundi and Abaqulusi – to mention a few where the IFP govern – roads are built and maintained.

The IFP is delivering essential infrastructure – such as community halls/centres, providing dignified housing and electricity.

Administering a municipality is challenging and complex. It takes experience, tenacity, and wisdom. It takes more than an individual with good intentions.

You need a team of dedicated people, working hand in hand, with a shared vision and unshakable principles.

The IFP is this team. We are fielding a total of 2 570 candidates across 109 municipalities in the upcoming elections.

The IFP represents the political centre ground and is the voter’s real alternative. Trust the IFP to find innovative solutions and improve South Africans lives.

2. How do you intend to cut municipalities’ costs such as excessive salaries, vehicle allowances, staff complements and the like?

Budgets must be streamlined.

To assess the needs of each municipality – and budget accordingly – a skills and infrastructure audit must be done. Only suitably qualified staff will be retained. New appointments will be based on merit and experience. This, in turn, will enhance each municipalities’ ability to deliver services.

Further, consequence management must be implemented, with all officials signing performance agreements at the start of their tenure.

Departments will be transitioned to a zero-sum budget process, to ensure that every rand is allocated to a specific line item, and to cut wasteful and fruitless expenditure. The IFP will also work closely with the auditor-general to
ensure that all processes are transparent and efficient, especially the awarding of tenders, as well as the appointment of staff.

The use of consultants will be restricted to areas where skills transfer is necessary and such transfer must be completed within a set timeframe.

3. How will you hold your local government representatives accountable? (How will they report to the people?)

The IFP exists as a political party to serve the people of South Africa, in the spirit of ubuntu/ botho.

When you vote for an IFP councillor, you are getting the IFP brand – integrity, servant leadership and governance through partnership.

Each IFP councillor is carefully selected to ensure they are a fit and proper person, willing and able to serve their community with excellence.

Further, to ensure that our councillors are accountable to their constituencies, each one of our 2 570 candidates is
required to sign a contract of good governance.

Each councillor pledges to “regularly consult with [community members] and to report back; to be the voice of the community in all council meetings; and to always work for and with the community”.

Through accountability, integrity and consequence management, the IFP will ensure that the needs of the people come first and that basic services are delivered.

4. People are broke and battling to pay their municipal bills and unemployment is at a record high. What are your plans to stimulate the local economy and help ratepayers meet their obligations?

The IFP is a party that believes in giving people a helping hand. We believe in self-help and self-reliance and equipping people to stand on their own feet. In communities where we govern, the IFP prioritises skills development and training. Opportunities in each community must be developed to serve the people of that community. This includes women, youth and persons with disabilities.

Where we govern, the IFP prioritises South Africans for job and trade opportunities. In this regard, local economic development is our key focus, through infrastructure development and maintenance, provision of water, electricity, roads and fibre. All these are key elements to create a conducive local environment for business and investment to create jobs where people are.

The IFP will prioritise localisation, industrialisation, and beneficiation as key tools of creating jobs and enhancing skills and expertise of young people to respond directly to needs of their respective local economies.

5. What are your 100 days in office goals?

The IFP’s single most important issue is to ensure that all municipalities we govern have the benefit of reliable, corruption-free governance.

The skills and infrastructure audits must be completed, with areas of greatest concern or dysfunction being highlighted for urgent attention.

All IFP mayors will sign a performance agreement based on the IFP’s 10-point manifesto, with clear timelines for each plan, over a period of the 12 months, as well as for the following years.

An action plan or turnaround plan for a clean audit will have to be adopted by each council governed by the IFP.

Further, we commit to completing these much-needed assessments within the first 100 days, so that IFP-led municipalities can provide basic services to our constituencies swiftly and efficiently.

• If you wish to take part, please e-mail: amandaw@citizen.co.za