The Democratic Alliance (DA) has challenged the ruling party to take tough decisions to better the lives of ordinary South Africans and not the government coffers.

This was said by the party members of parliament John Steenhuisen and Dean Macpherson at the party’s ‘vision for the future’ talk at Meander Manor in Chakas Rock last week, where Steenhuisen cracked down on the ANC for driving uncertainty in the country, which in turn negatively impacts on investor confidence.

“The last eight years have been characterised by a government that is completely schizophrenic in its approach.

“It is like an airport covered in the mist where you can see the runway but you do not know where to land.

“And when the clouds of my Zuma’s departure cleared, we could have provided the certainty of national and international investors.

“But what was the first thing that was done as a result of Mr Ramaphosa’s election? We had a debate over expropriation without compensation and amending the constitution.

“This brought back uncertainty and investors are waiting to see what the government’s policy will be will be and how it will affect them.”

During president Cyril Ramaphosa’s ‘Thuma Mina’ campaign in Stanger last week, he announced that government were pleading with businesses to not increase their prices ahead of the fuel price increase.

Steenhuisen said this showed the ANC was simply not in touch with reality.

“It was staggering that the president asked business not to put their prices up, this after his government put the prices up on businesses. Look at the fuel price alone and the percentage that goes into government coffers.

“This is a government that is not in touch with reality, making the same mistakes as the government in the past.”

The party challenged the ANC to address the growing rate of unemployment saying that the country’s labour structure had to be reconsidered.

“We can no longer afford a situation where R140 billion – 36 per cent of our GDP – is spent on the public sector wage bill.

It would not be so bad if we could get a passport on time, get our IDs sorted out but in absolute fact, the public sector is completely inefficient.”

Recent statistics showed that 75 per cent of the cash in transit crimes involved members of SAPS and security companies. Steenhuisen said this needed to be urgently addressed.

“Police are underpaid, under-resourced and not equipped.

“You cannot fight crime when you have criminals within the force.

“It is concerning that the barman in parliament earns more than a constable.

“This needs to be looked at. It is not normal that 90 per cent of South Africans below 18 have been exposed to violence.

“It is not normal where we have a situation where young babies and woman are raped. We do not have to accept this.

“The DA’s proposal is that if someone within the force is convicted of a crime, an additional 25-year sentence should be added.”