Patricia de Lille’s speech at the ID Western Cape Provincial Conference
2007-03-31. Ek weet hulle werk nie gewoonlik op ‘n Saterdag nie en die World Cup Cricket , die Super 12 rugby en die Jazz Festival wink! The Independent Democrats celebrated its fourth birthday on Monday and what an exhilarating ride it has been so far for all of us. It was a time to reflect on how far we have come and how we have proved the doomsday prophets wrong who predicted that we are a flash in the pan. Hier in die Wes-Kaap is ons die vinnigste groeiende party by vêr! Yes people, we are the fastest growing political party in the Western Cape!!
I want to guarantee you today that in
2009 the ID will hold the balance of power in this province. We must
start grooming our MECs, MPLs and provincial structures to govern in
the interest of all of our people.
You need to give yourselves a big hand today, because your hard work and effort stands out in the stormy waters of Western Cape politics. Ons het vandag oor die 500 afgevaardiges by hierdie Wes-Kaapse konferensie deur julle swoeg en sweet.
The 544 delegates representing 67 000 members from six districts indicate the phenomenal growth of the ID in the Western Cape. There is no distinction between the old ID and the new ID – WE ARE ONE ID.
Die ou bejaarde ID's wat voel hulle is te moeg en oud om en hulle wil nou gaan rus kan dit gerus doen, want daar is baie meer jong mense wat hulle skoene kan volstaan. Terwyl die ander so-called contenders hulle met interne politieke gevegte besig hou is die ID besig om ‘n army van lojale soldate bymekaar te bring wat in 2009 die stemme gaan inbring om mense in regering te sit wat regtig omgee vir ons mense.
One of the key tests of our loyalty will be in September when the fifteen day window opens for public representatives to cross the floor. I want to say to those in our party who are thinking of crossing to the ANC or the DA – if you do so you will be signing your own political death warrant.
There is a long line of people ahead of you in those parties so you can go and join the back of the queue. Come 2009 at provincial and national level and 2011 at local government level we will have positions for all our ID public representatives.
Op nationale vlak is ons druk besig en ons is verseker dat ons sal aanhou om lede te werf wat die belange van hierdie land op hulle harte het.
We have begun the process of consolidation and just recently we completed a National Audit of all our structures - ahead of the Policy and National Conferences, to be held in June and July respectively. By the end of April we will employ a Chief Executive Officer to ensure that our administration and party structures are geared to performing optimally. We also will be employing a full-time political assistant responsible for political and ideological training for the party.
Other key strategic initiatives will be announced to our structures shortly. For the sake of this country and its people we all cherish and love so much, the ID cannot fail in its vision to unite our people and build bridges between communities that have for too long been kept apart. We are convinced that we can unite ALL South Africans around a social democratic agenda where there is an acknowledgment that the problems of the rich are the problems of the poor.
Dis ons se tyd! Dis ID se tyd! It’s our time! It’s ID time! However, I do want to add that to accomplish what we have set out to do, not only in the Western Cape, but nationally; we will have to re-commit ourselves to discipline and a work ethic of excellence. I am asking you all, delegates and candidates – those who emerge as provincial leaders during the voting process and those who do not – to realise that the future of this party is in your hands. But let me add that as Independent Democrats will not stand back for anyone of our political opponents. We have been given a mandate, not only to the people who supported us loyally in the 2004 national election and the 2006 local government election, but by the people of South Africa. Countrywide our army has grown to over 150 000 and rising!
And let me say that the calibre of people who are now calling ID home is astonishing.
These are right-thinking people who have embraced the concept of developmental opposition. They have rejected the destructive kind of opposition that simply attacks for the sake of attacking. When the ID attacks people know it is to expose wrong-doing and to assist in rooting out corruption, non-delivery and other threats to our young democracy.
Ons is nie bang om enige iemand of party aan te vat nie en onse byt is grote as ons blaf! The challenge for us is to deliver. Where the people of the Western Cape and nationally have given us a mandate to form governments let us learn from the mistakes of other political parties, because the needs of our communities are so urgent we cannot afford to learn from our own mistakes. I want to also make an appeal to those who are outside the political processes, to those who feel marginalised like the millions of youth voters and others who have grown tired of non-performance and non-delivery: COME HOME TO THE ID.
En laat ek somme vir julle sê sodat almal kan hoor… Ons is die true Home For All! Ons gaan die mense van die Wes-Kaap en Suid-Afrika bymekaar bring om oplossings te vind. Saam kan ons misdaad en korrupsie beveg, saam kan ons armoede bestry, saam kan ons ons kinders beskerm en dwelms uitroei uit ons gemeenskappe. Ja, saam kan ons ’n Suid-Afrika bou wat vir al ons mense omgee.
Released by ID President Patricia de Lille – 084 777 2065
You need to give yourselves a big hand today, because your hard work and effort stands out in the stormy waters of Western Cape politics. Ons het vandag oor die 500 afgevaardiges by hierdie Wes-Kaapse konferensie deur julle swoeg en sweet.
The 544 delegates representing 67 000 members from six districts indicate the phenomenal growth of the ID in the Western Cape. There is no distinction between the old ID and the new ID – WE ARE ONE ID.
Die ou bejaarde ID's wat voel hulle is te moeg en oud om en hulle wil nou gaan rus kan dit gerus doen, want daar is baie meer jong mense wat hulle skoene kan volstaan. Terwyl die ander so-called contenders hulle met interne politieke gevegte besig hou is die ID besig om ‘n army van lojale soldate bymekaar te bring wat in 2009 die stemme gaan inbring om mense in regering te sit wat regtig omgee vir ons mense.
One of the key tests of our loyalty will be in September when the fifteen day window opens for public representatives to cross the floor. I want to say to those in our party who are thinking of crossing to the ANC or the DA – if you do so you will be signing your own political death warrant.
There is a long line of people ahead of you in those parties so you can go and join the back of the queue. Come 2009 at provincial and national level and 2011 at local government level we will have positions for all our ID public representatives.
Op nationale vlak is ons druk besig en ons is verseker dat ons sal aanhou om lede te werf wat die belange van hierdie land op hulle harte het.
We have begun the process of consolidation and just recently we completed a National Audit of all our structures - ahead of the Policy and National Conferences, to be held in June and July respectively. By the end of April we will employ a Chief Executive Officer to ensure that our administration and party structures are geared to performing optimally. We also will be employing a full-time political assistant responsible for political and ideological training for the party.
Other key strategic initiatives will be announced to our structures shortly. For the sake of this country and its people we all cherish and love so much, the ID cannot fail in its vision to unite our people and build bridges between communities that have for too long been kept apart. We are convinced that we can unite ALL South Africans around a social democratic agenda where there is an acknowledgment that the problems of the rich are the problems of the poor.
Dis ons se tyd! Dis ID se tyd! It’s our time! It’s ID time! However, I do want to add that to accomplish what we have set out to do, not only in the Western Cape, but nationally; we will have to re-commit ourselves to discipline and a work ethic of excellence. I am asking you all, delegates and candidates – those who emerge as provincial leaders during the voting process and those who do not – to realise that the future of this party is in your hands. But let me add that as Independent Democrats will not stand back for anyone of our political opponents. We have been given a mandate, not only to the people who supported us loyally in the 2004 national election and the 2006 local government election, but by the people of South Africa. Countrywide our army has grown to over 150 000 and rising!
And let me say that the calibre of people who are now calling ID home is astonishing.
These are right-thinking people who have embraced the concept of developmental opposition. They have rejected the destructive kind of opposition that simply attacks for the sake of attacking. When the ID attacks people know it is to expose wrong-doing and to assist in rooting out corruption, non-delivery and other threats to our young democracy.
Ons is nie bang om enige iemand of party aan te vat nie en onse byt is grote as ons blaf! The challenge for us is to deliver. Where the people of the Western Cape and nationally have given us a mandate to form governments let us learn from the mistakes of other political parties, because the needs of our communities are so urgent we cannot afford to learn from our own mistakes. I want to also make an appeal to those who are outside the political processes, to those who feel marginalised like the millions of youth voters and others who have grown tired of non-performance and non-delivery: COME HOME TO THE ID.
En laat ek somme vir julle sê sodat almal kan hoor… Ons is die true Home For All! Ons gaan die mense van die Wes-Kaap en Suid-Afrika bymekaar bring om oplossings te vind. Saam kan ons misdaad en korrupsie beveg, saam kan ons armoede bestry, saam kan ons ons kinders beskerm en dwelms uitroei uit ons gemeenskappe. Ja, saam kan ons ’n Suid-Afrika bou wat vir al ons mense omgee.
Released by ID President Patricia de Lille – 084 777 2065
