Election Manifesto 2004
2004-03-09. It is with pride and pleasure that I present the Independent Democrats Election 2004 Manifesto: Bridging the Divides.
South Africa achieved what many considered an impossible dream
the peaceful transition to democracy.
In 1994 we became a beacon of hope for Africa and to the international community.
Today we have the best Constitution in the world.
The Independent Democrats believe this is the highest authority in the country.
It must be upheld in its spirit.
The challenge to our nation is to make it a living document.
To give life to its words.
In order to achieve this we must hold government accountable
and keep government transparent.
It became clear to me this last year, that South Africa needs a clean new political party. A party with principles and vision. The response has been tremendous. All South Africans from all walks-of-life are finding a home in the Independent Democrats, because with the Independent Democrats, South Africans at last have a chance to vote for a party with a future, not a history of failure. The other opposition parties are the fallouts from apartheid. We represent the new South Africa.
Non-racial democracy brought the promise of a united South Africa in which all our people would enjoy their right to dignity, a decent standard of living and the means to realise their hopes and aspirations.
Although a great deal has been achieved over the last ten years,
South Africa is still a society divided by race and between rich and poor.
We need to bridge these divides if we are to truly realise our dream
of a united and prosperous South Africa.
The Independent Democrats have clear policies aimed at working towards bridging these divides.
Our manifesto differs from all the other parties.
The other opposition parties produce long shopping lists at election time;
wish lists on which they know they will never be called to deliver.
Other manifestos are a rehash of old promises and old rhetoric.
We, the Independent Democrats, are focussed on how we can contribute to our country; on what we can do and on how we see the future.
The ID's Pledge to Bridge Ten Divides in our Nation
The ID will bring politics back to the people of South Africa. We want the voice of communities and civil society to be encouraged.
The ID is a forward-looking party. Our goal is to build bridges between the different social groupings through a common vision for the nation.
We must not talk of a first and second economy,
but of an informal and formal sector.
We must work harder at bringing these together.
This is the best way to ensure that economic growth
will translate into substantial job creation.
When you travel through this country, not by Boeing, but by car,
you are struck by two things first the incredible beauty,
but also the terrible poverty.
We need to revitalise the RDP.
The poor must get immediate relief.
The rural areas are vital to the self-sufficiency of the country.
We must be able to grow food for our own people.
We must provide the infrastructure to sustain jobs in our rural areas
and alleviate the tremendous pressure on the urban centres.
We fully support the Operational Plan for complete HIV
and Aids care, management and treatment.
We believe the ARV rollout was a great victory for democracy
because the people led and the government was forced to follow.
It is every South African's responsibility to break down
the persistent and destructive divide
caused by the stigmatisation of HIV positive people.
Crime impacts on all of us, poor and rich
in the way we have to live, in the way we relate to other people.
Crime has also create a negative perception of South Africa amongst investors and tourists.
We started our access to education campaign
when desperate parents approached the offices of the Independent Democrats to report incidents where school children were shamed or turned away from school, simply because their parents could not pay.
Everyone has the constitutional right to an education.
We believe that all calls to Internet Service Providers should be free.
The internet is a vast international resource at our fingertips.
Educational facilities struggle to pay the exorbitant costs of telephone calls in this country and this is holding the whole of South Africa back.
The Independent Democrats are against this short sighted stupidity.
Relative to the size of our economy South Africa occupies a unique and proud position in the world. We must not jeopardise this through reckless foreign adventures and this unsuccessful concept of quiet diplomacy.
Protecting our Democracy:
Parliament is failing in its role of oversight. The fusion of the Executive and the Parliament over the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the arms deal and Zimbabwe violated the vital Constitutional principle of the separation of powers.
Too much power is now concentrated in the Presidency.
Government labels criticism of the government
as unpatriotic if you are black
or racist if you are white.
We must stand up against this labelling of people.
(The Independent Democrats Solutions)
We believe South Africa must move away from
a purely proportional system of representation
to one that will eventually be mixed constituency and proportionally based.
MPs must be far more accessible to their constituencies.
(Job Creation Challenges)
Job creation must be our number one priority.
South Africa has failed dismally over the last 10 years to create jobs.
Unemployment is at 40% and continues to rise,
almost 72% of the unemployed are under the age of 35.
We must not blame willing people for their unemployment.
Of course government is not solely responsible for creating jobs.
But government must create the environment to help the private sector
as the prime creator of new jobs.
South Africa's economy is structured along a great divide
between a globally integrated formal economy and an efficient,
but neglected informal economy.
(ID's Solutions)
The Independent Democrats believe we must reform
the lending criteria of development agencies
so that they incorporate small and micro-enterprises.
We must root out corruption and nepotism in government lending programmes.
We must not neglect the essential infrastructure
that enables entrepreneurs to gain access to markets,
especially telecommunications and roads.
In this as in many other areas, government spending is lagging behind GDP growth, especially in capital investment.
Small and Medium Size Enterprises must be given the majority of the contracts to implement the R100 million infrastructural development plans of government to service the backlog.
These enterprises would then be able to gain access
to the capital they so sorely need to grow their businesses.
We need to streamline the bureaucracy around establishing a new businesses. Local Government should review zoning and licensing regulations to end discrimination against micro and small enterprise.
A further failing of the government's current National Small Business Strategy is that it only concentrates on the supply side issues
while ignoring the demand side of the economy.
This means that potential entrepreneurs are assisted to grow businesses
in local economies that do not have the resources to buy their goods and services.
We could increase the demand side of these economies by transferring income through correctly targeting the public works program.
An expanded public works program will provide temporary employment
to large numbers of unemployed people, but it must be done in such a way that these people learn skills.
Unfortunately, the government's record on public works schemes
has been poor and they have failed to implement their previous promises.
Currently the most successful government public works scheme
is the Working for Water Program that employs 60 000 people.
This model could be expanded to other environmental areas
such as organic farming and coastal care.
We recommend the government allocate a portion of the Public Works Programme budget to building Organic Farming Centres in the rural areas.
South Africa has the potential to take a lead in the huge and growing international demand for organic produce.
The Independent Democrats support South Africa's insertion
into the global market after years of isolation, but we have gone further than the requirements of the World Trade Organisation in reducing our tariff barriers.
In agriculture and textiles this has had a disastrous effect.
Our agricultural sector is currently one of the least protected in the world.
We have lost over half a million jobs in this sector in the last ten years as a result. We believe South Africa must play a major role in the formation of an influential lobby of developing countries arguing for reciprocal reduction in the industrialised countries' agricultural subsidies.
(Poverty Eradication Challenges):
There can be no united South Africa until poverty is addressed.
Over 9 million people in our country live on less than R400 a month,
a quarter of our children are seriously malnourished, and HIV/AIDS is pushing communities further into poverty.
Instead of fighting the war against poverty, the government directed billions of rands to armaments spending.
Not only money, but action must be prioritised.
1,5 million children do not receive the grants to which they are entitled to.
Government praises itself for bringing water, telephones and electricity to millions, but fails to address the disconnections and cut-offs of those who are unable to pay.
(Independent Democrats Solutions)
60% of the poor are currently not eligible for any form of social grant.
They are also unlikely to find jobs in the immediate future.
We have to address this social blight which costs
the country millions in hidden and indirect costs.
We must work towards a safety net.
We all know that children are the future of the nation.
We must provide health care, education and see that they have food.
There is no excuse in a country with South Africa's wealth
not to find ways to provide these basics and make our country a country that works and is attractive to investors.
There will always be those who slip through the net, but the current numbers are intolerable.
Pensions should increase in line with the costs that most effect pensioners.
(Provision of Basic Services)
The rights to essential services should not be jeopardised
by a person's inability to pay for the service.
HIV/AIDSChallenges:
We must face the reality that because government has for so long
and continues to delay the Anti RetroViral Drug rollout, we are now moving from an HIV into an AIDS pandemic.
The Independent Democrats' Solutions:
The Independent Democrats believe there are a number of obvious things for government to do and to support.
But our response to the AIDS pandemic should be to see that every government department has a section dedicated to dealing with HIV/AIDS in their area; for example the military, correctional services, trade and industry, and education. These must be co-ordinated in the national plan of action.
Human Security: Challenges:
There are numerous areas of grave concern:
organized crime and drug syndicates, illegal firearms, violent crime and rape, the abuse of women and children, murder and gang warfare.
We can only be successful in beating crime if we fight the battle against poverty, unemployment, poor education and the vast inequalities in our society.
The key issue is to achieve greater co-operation between the Courts, the Correctional Services and Law Enforcement.
The Independent Democrats Solutions:
A Common Rape Protocol must be drawn up for the country
It should include a minimum ethical and moral standard of practice
into which the rape survivor is immediately entered
from the time the incident occurs and followed through each stage from recovery to care.
This would require individual, community, private and state involvement
in order to elect the proper candidates to the various offices of the Common Rape Protocol.
Communities must be encouraged to take responsibility for their women and children.
They need to break the silence and intervene where and when necessary.
Places of refuge set up and run by community members must be supported by the State.
Education Challenges:
It is only through education that South Africa's population
can uplift itself and equip the country with the necessary skills
and knowledge to compete in the global economy.
Three out of every five children drop out of school before reaching Matric.
The OBE Curriculum was based on countries
with far more educational resources than South Africa
and still they have failed to properly implement this curriculum.
We must review this system, We cannot simply disrupt the curriculums
by putting yet another system in place.
We are now stuck with it and we must revise it in line with local conditions.
ID's Solutions:
A Child Education Grant should be made available to poor households
for the costs of stationery, books and school transport.
Long term teachers should be offered economic benefits and incentives, including sabbatical years.
Anti-Corruption Challenges:
A study recently released by the leading anti-corruption NGO
Transparency International, placed South Africa 48th
out of 133 countries in 2003, a 12 place drop from 2002.
The environment is often seen as a soft target for corruption.
This was evident in the Roodefontein Golf Estate scandal
in which high standing public officials in the Western Cape government
received bribes to approve development plans.
The costs of corruption to the private sector and the public sector are phenomenal.
This issue must be dealt with decisively.
We have the resources, expertise and commitment
to pursue corruption with the full force of the law,
regardless of status in society or political affiliation.
The Independent Democrats as a Bridge to our Future:
A well-funded land reform program with real post-transfer agricultural support would lead to the rural poor gaining access to a sustainable livelihood.
The land reform process must get more funds in order to proceed at a faster rate to give effect to the constitutional position.
We believe that South Africa can lead the world in many areas over the next ten years.
We are concerned not only about the major issues facing our country,
but we believe a broader and more holistic approach and understanding of what makes up our world is required.
The Independent Democrats will root out corruption of the environment
to ensure that South Africa takes on its global environmental responsibilities by investing resources in sustainable energy production and conservation.
We are also proud of our artists, who have made their mark internationally.
They are the torch-bearers who keep the utopian spirit alive in humankind.
In the interests of fostering a truly democratic culture in South Africa
the Independent Democrats are committed to maintaining the independence, financial self-sufficiency and visionary vigour of the Arts.
On a regional level we foresee South Africa playing an influential role
in bringing peace and stability to the African continent.
We will do this by standing up against human rights abuses
wherever they may occur. Our successes as a nation have been numerous over the past ten years.
The Independent Democrats will build on our diverse strengths
and bridge the divisions in our society.
We can unite and transform our country for a prosperous future.
Thank you.
the peaceful transition to democracy.
In 1994 we became a beacon of hope for Africa and to the international community.
Today we have the best Constitution in the world.
The Independent Democrats believe this is the highest authority in the country.
It must be upheld in its spirit.
The challenge to our nation is to make it a living document.
To give life to its words.
In order to achieve this we must hold government accountable
and keep government transparent.
It became clear to me this last year, that South Africa needs a clean new political party. A party with principles and vision. The response has been tremendous. All South Africans from all walks-of-life are finding a home in the Independent Democrats, because with the Independent Democrats, South Africans at last have a chance to vote for a party with a future, not a history of failure. The other opposition parties are the fallouts from apartheid. We represent the new South Africa.
Non-racial democracy brought the promise of a united South Africa in which all our people would enjoy their right to dignity, a decent standard of living and the means to realise their hopes and aspirations.
Although a great deal has been achieved over the last ten years,
South Africa is still a society divided by race and between rich and poor.
We need to bridge these divides if we are to truly realise our dream
of a united and prosperous South Africa.
The Independent Democrats have clear policies aimed at working towards bridging these divides.
Our manifesto differs from all the other parties.
The other opposition parties produce long shopping lists at election time;
wish lists on which they know they will never be called to deliver.
Other manifestos are a rehash of old promises and old rhetoric.
We, the Independent Democrats, are focussed on how we can contribute to our country; on what we can do and on how we see the future.
The ID's Pledge to Bridge Ten Divides in our Nation
The ID will bring politics back to the people of South Africa. We want the voice of communities and civil society to be encouraged.
The ID is a forward-looking party. Our goal is to build bridges between the different social groupings through a common vision for the nation.
We must not talk of a first and second economy,
but of an informal and formal sector.
We must work harder at bringing these together.
This is the best way to ensure that economic growth
will translate into substantial job creation.
When you travel through this country, not by Boeing, but by car,
you are struck by two things first the incredible beauty,
but also the terrible poverty.
We need to revitalise the RDP.
The poor must get immediate relief.
The rural areas are vital to the self-sufficiency of the country.
We must be able to grow food for our own people.
We must provide the infrastructure to sustain jobs in our rural areas
and alleviate the tremendous pressure on the urban centres.
We fully support the Operational Plan for complete HIV
and Aids care, management and treatment.
We believe the ARV rollout was a great victory for democracy
because the people led and the government was forced to follow.
It is every South African's responsibility to break down
the persistent and destructive divide
caused by the stigmatisation of HIV positive people.
Crime impacts on all of us, poor and rich
in the way we have to live, in the way we relate to other people.
Crime has also create a negative perception of South Africa amongst investors and tourists.
We started our access to education campaign
when desperate parents approached the offices of the Independent Democrats to report incidents where school children were shamed or turned away from school, simply because their parents could not pay.
Everyone has the constitutional right to an education.
We believe that all calls to Internet Service Providers should be free.
The internet is a vast international resource at our fingertips.
Educational facilities struggle to pay the exorbitant costs of telephone calls in this country and this is holding the whole of South Africa back.
The Independent Democrats are against this short sighted stupidity.
Relative to the size of our economy South Africa occupies a unique and proud position in the world. We must not jeopardise this through reckless foreign adventures and this unsuccessful concept of quiet diplomacy.
Protecting our Democracy:
Parliament is failing in its role of oversight. The fusion of the Executive and the Parliament over the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the arms deal and Zimbabwe violated the vital Constitutional principle of the separation of powers.
Too much power is now concentrated in the Presidency.
Government labels criticism of the government
as unpatriotic if you are black
or racist if you are white.
We must stand up against this labelling of people.
(The Independent Democrats Solutions)
We believe South Africa must move away from
a purely proportional system of representation
to one that will eventually be mixed constituency and proportionally based.
MPs must be far more accessible to their constituencies.
(Job Creation Challenges)
Job creation must be our number one priority.
South Africa has failed dismally over the last 10 years to create jobs.
Unemployment is at 40% and continues to rise,
almost 72% of the unemployed are under the age of 35.
We must not blame willing people for their unemployment.
Of course government is not solely responsible for creating jobs.
But government must create the environment to help the private sector
as the prime creator of new jobs.
South Africa's economy is structured along a great divide
between a globally integrated formal economy and an efficient,
but neglected informal economy.
(ID's Solutions)
The Independent Democrats believe we must reform
the lending criteria of development agencies
so that they incorporate small and micro-enterprises.
We must root out corruption and nepotism in government lending programmes.
We must not neglect the essential infrastructure
that enables entrepreneurs to gain access to markets,
especially telecommunications and roads.
In this as in many other areas, government spending is lagging behind GDP growth, especially in capital investment.
Small and Medium Size Enterprises must be given the majority of the contracts to implement the R100 million infrastructural development plans of government to service the backlog.
These enterprises would then be able to gain access
to the capital they so sorely need to grow their businesses.
We need to streamline the bureaucracy around establishing a new businesses. Local Government should review zoning and licensing regulations to end discrimination against micro and small enterprise.
A further failing of the government's current National Small Business Strategy is that it only concentrates on the supply side issues
while ignoring the demand side of the economy.
This means that potential entrepreneurs are assisted to grow businesses
in local economies that do not have the resources to buy their goods and services.
We could increase the demand side of these economies by transferring income through correctly targeting the public works program.
An expanded public works program will provide temporary employment
to large numbers of unemployed people, but it must be done in such a way that these people learn skills.
Unfortunately, the government's record on public works schemes
has been poor and they have failed to implement their previous promises.
Currently the most successful government public works scheme
is the Working for Water Program that employs 60 000 people.
This model could be expanded to other environmental areas
such as organic farming and coastal care.
We recommend the government allocate a portion of the Public Works Programme budget to building Organic Farming Centres in the rural areas.
South Africa has the potential to take a lead in the huge and growing international demand for organic produce.
The Independent Democrats support South Africa's insertion
into the global market after years of isolation, but we have gone further than the requirements of the World Trade Organisation in reducing our tariff barriers.
In agriculture and textiles this has had a disastrous effect.
Our agricultural sector is currently one of the least protected in the world.
We have lost over half a million jobs in this sector in the last ten years as a result. We believe South Africa must play a major role in the formation of an influential lobby of developing countries arguing for reciprocal reduction in the industrialised countries' agricultural subsidies.
(Poverty Eradication Challenges):
There can be no united South Africa until poverty is addressed.
Over 9 million people in our country live on less than R400 a month,
a quarter of our children are seriously malnourished, and HIV/AIDS is pushing communities further into poverty.
Instead of fighting the war against poverty, the government directed billions of rands to armaments spending.
Not only money, but action must be prioritised.
1,5 million children do not receive the grants to which they are entitled to.
Government praises itself for bringing water, telephones and electricity to millions, but fails to address the disconnections and cut-offs of those who are unable to pay.
(Independent Democrats Solutions)
60% of the poor are currently not eligible for any form of social grant.
They are also unlikely to find jobs in the immediate future.
We have to address this social blight which costs
the country millions in hidden and indirect costs.
We must work towards a safety net.
We all know that children are the future of the nation.
We must provide health care, education and see that they have food.
There is no excuse in a country with South Africa's wealth
not to find ways to provide these basics and make our country a country that works and is attractive to investors.
There will always be those who slip through the net, but the current numbers are intolerable.
Pensions should increase in line with the costs that most effect pensioners.
(Provision of Basic Services)
The rights to essential services should not be jeopardised
by a person's inability to pay for the service.
HIV/AIDSChallenges:
We must face the reality that because government has for so long
and continues to delay the Anti RetroViral Drug rollout, we are now moving from an HIV into an AIDS pandemic.
The Independent Democrats' Solutions:
The Independent Democrats believe there are a number of obvious things for government to do and to support.
But our response to the AIDS pandemic should be to see that every government department has a section dedicated to dealing with HIV/AIDS in their area; for example the military, correctional services, trade and industry, and education. These must be co-ordinated in the national plan of action.
Human Security: Challenges:
There are numerous areas of grave concern:
organized crime and drug syndicates, illegal firearms, violent crime and rape, the abuse of women and children, murder and gang warfare.
We can only be successful in beating crime if we fight the battle against poverty, unemployment, poor education and the vast inequalities in our society.
The key issue is to achieve greater co-operation between the Courts, the Correctional Services and Law Enforcement.
The Independent Democrats Solutions:
A Common Rape Protocol must be drawn up for the country
It should include a minimum ethical and moral standard of practice
into which the rape survivor is immediately entered
from the time the incident occurs and followed through each stage from recovery to care.
This would require individual, community, private and state involvement
in order to elect the proper candidates to the various offices of the Common Rape Protocol.
Communities must be encouraged to take responsibility for their women and children.
They need to break the silence and intervene where and when necessary.
Places of refuge set up and run by community members must be supported by the State.
Education Challenges:
It is only through education that South Africa's population
can uplift itself and equip the country with the necessary skills
and knowledge to compete in the global economy.
Three out of every five children drop out of school before reaching Matric.
The OBE Curriculum was based on countries
with far more educational resources than South Africa
and still they have failed to properly implement this curriculum.
We must review this system, We cannot simply disrupt the curriculums
by putting yet another system in place.
We are now stuck with it and we must revise it in line with local conditions.
ID's Solutions:
A Child Education Grant should be made available to poor households
for the costs of stationery, books and school transport.
Long term teachers should be offered economic benefits and incentives, including sabbatical years.
Anti-Corruption Challenges:
A study recently released by the leading anti-corruption NGO
Transparency International, placed South Africa 48th
out of 133 countries in 2003, a 12 place drop from 2002.
The environment is often seen as a soft target for corruption.
This was evident in the Roodefontein Golf Estate scandal
in which high standing public officials in the Western Cape government
received bribes to approve development plans.
The costs of corruption to the private sector and the public sector are phenomenal.
This issue must be dealt with decisively.
We have the resources, expertise and commitment
to pursue corruption with the full force of the law,
regardless of status in society or political affiliation.
The Independent Democrats as a Bridge to our Future:
A well-funded land reform program with real post-transfer agricultural support would lead to the rural poor gaining access to a sustainable livelihood.
The land reform process must get more funds in order to proceed at a faster rate to give effect to the constitutional position.
We believe that South Africa can lead the world in many areas over the next ten years.
We are concerned not only about the major issues facing our country,
but we believe a broader and more holistic approach and understanding of what makes up our world is required.
The Independent Democrats will root out corruption of the environment
to ensure that South Africa takes on its global environmental responsibilities by investing resources in sustainable energy production and conservation.
We are also proud of our artists, who have made their mark internationally.
They are the torch-bearers who keep the utopian spirit alive in humankind.
In the interests of fostering a truly democratic culture in South Africa
the Independent Democrats are committed to maintaining the independence, financial self-sufficiency and visionary vigour of the Arts.
On a regional level we foresee South Africa playing an influential role
in bringing peace and stability to the African continent.
We will do this by standing up against human rights abuses
wherever they may occur. Our successes as a nation have been numerous over the past ten years.
The Independent Democrats will build on our diverse strengths
and bridge the divisions in our society.
We can unite and transform our country for a prosperous future.
Thank you.
