Strict adherence to the rule of law, the establishment of a market economy and proving in the regions where it governs that it is effective, will be three main focus points of the Democratic Alliance election campaign leading up to the 2019 elections.
Launching the DA’s campaign with a fundraising breakfast at Fiamma Grill on Monday, parliamentary chief whip John Steenhuizen presented the main points of the party’s manifesto for next year’s general elections to an audience of party backers in KwaDukuza district.
Steenhuizen said while the country had ‘dodged a bullet’ with the election of president Cyril Ramaphosa, it was crucial that emergency surgery be performed on the education system if the country were to make a recovery in the longer term.
“The education system is broken. Pupils cannot read, write or do maths. It is essential that we break the stranglehold of the teachers’ union SADTU, which is only interested in their own welfare, not that of the children,” he said.
Another priority was to provide technical and vocational training through technikons and apprenticeships. Job creation would be hampered by the newly legislated national minimum wage and investment driven away by the manner in which land expropriation without compensation was being unpacked.
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Unpacking the manifesto further, Cape MP Geordie Hill-Lewis said strict application of the rule of law was necessary to combat crime and corruption.
“We will not rest easy until (former president) Jacob Zuma is in retirement in orange overalls,” he said, stressing that zero tolerance had to apply from the top down to send a strong message against corruption.
The DA had proven in the Western Cape, where it has governed since 2009, that it is capable of creating jobs and instilling clean governance.
In Johannesburg, about 420 officials were being prosecuted for corrupt practices.
The more action against corruption in the DA-controlled metros and 30 municipalities, the more voters would begin to believe that the party could govern effectively.
“The DA does not want to be in opposition forever, and I believe that one day we will be part of a national coalition government.”
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