Once upon a time in South Africa, four political parties, ActionSA, the Democratic Alliance (DA), the GOOD party, and the Alliance of Citizens for Change (ACC), unveiled their visions for the country's future.
ActionSA, led by Herman Mashaba, aimed to bring about positive change and progress. They took a stand against delayed water projects in Polokwane, holding the mayor accountable for the oversight and expressing concern over potential corruption and mismanagement. ActionSA also called on the Minister of Water and Sanitation to fulfill their duty of supplying water to the people of Giyani, Seshego, and the entire province of Limpopo. Beyond water projects, ActionSA launched their election campaign with promises of better education, economic prospects, and border security. They aimed to create a brighter future for all South Africans, addressing challenges and injustices that hindered the nation's development [2f5de4ff].
The DA held a march from Church Square to the Union Buildings in Pretoria for their 2024 manifesto launch. The launch came ahead of the 2024 national and provincial elections. The DA's manifesto included promises to create two million new jobs, end load shedding and water shedding, halve the rate of violent crime, abolish cadre deployment, lift six million people out of poverty, triple the number of Grade 4 learners who can read for meaning, and ensure quality healthcare for all. The manifesto launch followed the release of South Africa's 2023/2024 annual crime statistics, which showed an increase in murders and a decrease in sexual offences and rape incidents [e5609f9b].
The leader of the GOOD party, Patricia De Lille, called on South Africans to help solve the country’s socio-economic ills. De Lille made the call at the launch of the party’s election manifesto in Johannesburg. She urged South Africans to address issues such as crime, high unemployment, and poverty, which she says the current government has failed to address. The Good Party has called for the introduction of a R1000 basic income grant to alleviate the suffering of poor South Africans. De Lille emphasized that the implementation of the basic income grant is necessary to combat escalating poverty and reverse the setbacks of the 1994 democratic breakthrough. She stated that a GOOD government would implement a basic income grant of at least R999 per month for all unemployed people, funded through a professionalized public service, anti-corruption measures, and tax reforms [88013629].
GOOD leader Patricia de Lille presented the party's election manifesto, outlining their plans to address social justice, spatial justice, economic justice, and environmental justice. De Lille emphasized the need to change the structure of government to deliver on promises and tackle poverty and suffering. She highlighted the disproportionate impact on women of color, including lower wages and gender-based violence. De Lille proposed implementing a Basic Income Grant of at least R999 per month for all unemployed people. She called on South Africans to vote for individuals with integrity and a vision for a fair, just, inclusive, and united country [3df8c8ff].
The Alliance of Citizens for Change (ACC) has unveiled its election manifesto in Cape Town, making bold promises to address pressing issues. The manifesto includes commitments such as life imprisonment for rapists, the death penalty for murderers, and the establishment of easily accessible clinics and police stations for communities. The party aims to ensure social justice and plans to use the country's raw materials to fund education and create jobs. They also promise to end load shedding within 100 days if they come to power. The ACC emphasizes the need for courageous leadership to tackle challenges such as unemployment, poor economic growth, and crime. They advocate for the authority to expropriate land with reasonable compensation and have a zero-tolerance policy for corruption. The party's key priorities will be based on their 'CRADLE TO GRAVE' policy approach. The manifesto launch took place in Cape Town [3bc46973].
Prosperity will remain elusive for as long as those who govern South Africa are willing to tolerate kleptocracy and grand corruption. The culture of corruption with impunity has to be ended, but the political will to do so is frustratingly lacking [7cc54483]. The article discusses the interplay between national values, political goals, and the fight against corruption in South Africa. It emphasizes the importance of holding political parties accountable for their stance on corruption and highlights the need for a new Anti-Corruption Commission. The author calls on savvy voters to support the introduction of private members' bills to address corruption and to demand the establishment of the commission. The article also highlights the importance of a functioning police service, a defense force, and pragmatic economic policy-making for achieving peace, progress, and prosperity in the country. It concludes that the fight against corruption is crucial for South Africa's success and calls on voters to prioritize this issue in the upcoming elections.
The Democratic Alliance's (DA) economic policy proposals, outlined in their document titled 'The DA's Plan to Unleash Enterprise, Grow the Economy and Create Jobs,' are seen as a direct attack on the working class. The DA's proposals aim to remove subsidies to big industries and replace them with small start-ups, which critics argue would destroy the remaining industrial capacity of the country and lead to the loss of unionized jobs. The party's economic policy is criticized for being aligned with free market fundamentalism and lacking innovation. The DA's proposal to remove subsidies from state-owned enterprises and the vehicle sector is seen as particularly damaging to the economy. Critics argue that free market fundamentalism has failed in other countries, leading to privatized services prioritizing private profit over the public good and increasing inequality. The DA's economic policies are viewed as a threat to the working class and the impoverished majority. Critics argue that South Africa needs an economic policy that defends existing good jobs, fixes state-owned enterprises, and creates more decent jobs to lift people out of poverty.
President Cyril Ramaphosa's re-election has received mixed reactions from political parties in South Africa. The Democratic Alliance (DA) sees it as a new chapter for building and developing the country, while the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) views it as a reflection of the country's democracy. Ramaphosa received 283 votes compared to Julius Malema's 44 votes. Opposition parties congratulated Ramaphosa on his re-election but criticized the ANC and stayed out of the Government of National Unity (GNU). DA Leader John Steenhuisen called for parties to step up and work for the country, while Malema criticized the ANC and DA's political arrangement, accusing it of consolidating white monopoly power over the economy and means of production in South Africa. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu congratulates President Cyril Ramaphosa on his re-election as President of South Africa. Ramaphosa emphasized the need to continue economic reforms to grow the economy and create jobs. He highlighted the implementation of growth-enhancing structural reforms in energy, logistics, water, and telecommunications. The reforms have improved investor confidence and attracted investment into the economy. Tinubu extended his congratulations to Ramaphosa and called for the strengthening of bilateral ties between Nigeria and South Africa [22ef7a1c].
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has formed a new coalition government after the African National Congress (ANC) lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since coming to power three decades ago. The coalition cabinet was formed after extensive negotiations between the ANC and the centrist Democratic Alliance (DA), the two largest parties in the May 29 elections. President Ramaphosa offered the DA six ministerial positions, including agriculture, home affairs, basic education, public works, communications, and forestry. This coalition government marks a new era for South Africa, moving away from the single-party dominance that has characterized its post-apartheid history. The opposition parties, including the DA, the Inkatha Freedom Party, and other smaller parties, received a total of 12 ministries in the new government. The African National Congress retained 20 out of 32 cabinet positions, including key ministries such as foreign affairs, finance, defense, justice, and police. President Ramaphosa emphasized that the incoming government will prioritize rapid, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, tackling poverty, inequality, and unemployment. The new government, which involves 11 parties, will be opened on July 18 [2708c29b] [d519085c].