DA and EFF share their plans and vision of a new leadership in SA
The ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa did not attend, leaving the stage to be dominated by the DA and EFF, who shared their visions, policies, and leadership ideals for the future of South Africa.
The Wits School of Governance (WSG) convened its Dialogue Two session on April 25 as part of a series dedicated to examining crucial issues surrounding the upcoming national elections in South Africa.
The focus for the day was centred on a discussion titled “In their Voices and through their Lenses”, intending to showcase perspectives from three prominent political parties: the African National Congress (ANC), Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), and Democratic Alliance (DA).
The ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa did not attend, leaving the stage to be dominated by the DA and EFF, who shared their visions, policies, and leadership ideals for the future of South Africa.
Head of policy of the DA Mat Cuthbert, said the DA is the right party to “rescue SA”.
He admitted the DA, in recent years, had an identity crisis in terms of leadership and said they have ironed out those challenges.
He said the DA’s rescue plan for SA was guided by the challenges the country is currently facing. The seven key priorities that the DA plans to focus on are:
- Create two million new jobs.
- End load-shedding and water-shedding.
- Halve the rate of violent crimes and crush corruption.
- Lift the six million people out of poverty.
- Triple the number of Grade Four learners who can read to understand.
- Ensure agility in health care for all irrespective of economic status.
Cuthbert said there is often a wrong impression of the DA being a middle-aged white male party.
“This is not the true reflection of our membership. We are the most diverse party in the country. Over the year we have shown such a diverse culture in the party, whether young or old,” said Cuthbert.
EFF arrives
The EFF’s commander-in-chief Julius Malema arrived on stage to be welcomed by a significantly larger crowd that the opposition earlier that day.
The EFF plans to move the ANC from 60% to 50% support.
He said the EFF manifesto 2024 is primarily based on the numerous submissions the EFF received from different sectors through public consultations, which included public meetings, letters to different organisations, social media inputs, and oral submissions.
The EFF manifesto’s seven pillars are:
- Expropriation of South Africa’s land without compensation for equal redistribution in use.
- Nationalisation of mines, banks, and other strategic sectors of the economy, without compensation.
- Building state and government capacity, which will lead to the abolishment of tenders.
- Free quality education, health care, houses, and sanitation.
- Pprotected industrial development to create millions of sustainable jobs. Including the introduction of minimum wage(s) to close the wage gap between the rich and the poor, close the apartheid wage gap, and promote rapid career paths for Africans in the workplace.
- Massive development of the African economy and advocating for a move from reconciliation to justice on the entire continent.
- Open, accountable, corrupt-free government and society without fear of victimisation by state agencies.
