Why support the ID?
A LEADER WHOSE TIME HAS COME: PATRICIA DE LILLE
South Africa’s basically sound democracy is
in a rut
South Africa’s democracy is based on a sound constitution and a national commitment to reconciliation. Our party politics, however, fall far short of ensuring accountability to the people and the best possible governance for our country and alarmingly high proportions of voters feel that voting is futile. As many as 30% of the electorate has either lost interest in voting or feel uncertain about which party to support.
The root of the problem is that opposition parties, singly and collectively, are too weak to keep the government on its toes. This is no party’s fault - as long as voting occurs along racial and historical lines, an imbalance in our politics will persist. Most parties have tried to break out of the mould, but neither the governing party nor any significant opposition party has been able to spread its appeal across the divisions of our past and across voters of all colours and classes. Voters need new options and choices to invigorate our politics and to hold the government accountable to the voters.
Its time to unveil South Africa’s new ID
It’s time for a change
South African politics clearly needs a politician whose appeal will break the stalemate and straddle these destructive divisions. For the new South Africa we clearly need a new kind of South African politician.
This person does exist and she has large support across the spectrum of race, class and language. She is ready to become the new and independent force that our politics and public affairs so badly need. This person is already well known and admired by many for her courage. She is Patricia de Lille.
Although she has a party political background, she has built her reputation as her own person, fearlessly independent. It was she who first alerted South Africans to the irregularities in the Arms Deal and prompted the eventually investigations that have led to prosecutions for corruption. It is she who is waging a passionate campaign for the rights of victims of HIV/Aids and it is she who has persistently demanded that the voters be taken seriously.
Leading a New Party
Patricia de Lille has the support of colleagues both in parliament and outside – people with deep commitment and conscience but at the same time experienced, realistic and balanced. Their unifying commitment is to the principle of rigorous accountability and utter honesty and transparency in public affairs. The time has come to establish a new and independent party that is destined to break the logjam in our politics.
Principles and Policies
Accountability, transparency and effective government:
Patricia de Lille’s commitment is to South Africans, not to power or position. She stands, first and foremost for accountability to the voters and transparency as the foundations on which effective government has to be built.
A core democrat who dislikes ideologues:
Patricia de Lille is far too aware of the complexities of the real world to have grandiose ideologies. She cannot be labelled and lumped with any school or category of politicians. Nobody could seriously attempt to depict her as radical, conservative, neo-liberal, nationalist, populist or anything else.
First and foremost, however, she is a committed democrat. As such she believes simply that policy must have no other purpose than to improve the lives and opportunities of all South Africans.
A commitment to “win-win” solutions:
Many would argue that the needs of the rich and the poor or of blacks and whites in South Africa are so different that general priorities are impossible, that policies that benefit some must be at a cost to others. Patricia de Lille will not accept this. Because all South Africans are ultimately dependent on each other, policy should not harm some for the sake of others. There are win-win solutions in South Africa, and it is to these that Patricia de Lille is committed.
Fearless independence:
It is for these reasons that Patricia de Lille sees her new initiative as “independent” – independent of any particular ideology and of any specific economic or party political interests.
On the economy:
Patricia de Lille broadly supports an open competitive market economy but believes that the government undermines the effectiveness of its own macro-economic policy through:
South Africa’s democracy is based on a sound constitution and a national commitment to reconciliation. Our party politics, however, fall far short of ensuring accountability to the people and the best possible governance for our country and alarmingly high proportions of voters feel that voting is futile. As many as 30% of the electorate has either lost interest in voting or feel uncertain about which party to support.
The root of the problem is that opposition parties, singly and collectively, are too weak to keep the government on its toes. This is no party’s fault - as long as voting occurs along racial and historical lines, an imbalance in our politics will persist. Most parties have tried to break out of the mould, but neither the governing party nor any significant opposition party has been able to spread its appeal across the divisions of our past and across voters of all colours and classes. Voters need new options and choices to invigorate our politics and to hold the government accountable to the voters.
Its time to unveil South Africa’s new ID
It’s time for a change
South African politics clearly needs a politician whose appeal will break the stalemate and straddle these destructive divisions. For the new South Africa we clearly need a new kind of South African politician.
This person does exist and she has large support across the spectrum of race, class and language. She is ready to become the new and independent force that our politics and public affairs so badly need. This person is already well known and admired by many for her courage. She is Patricia de Lille.
Although she has a party political background, she has built her reputation as her own person, fearlessly independent. It was she who first alerted South Africans to the irregularities in the Arms Deal and prompted the eventually investigations that have led to prosecutions for corruption. It is she who is waging a passionate campaign for the rights of victims of HIV/Aids and it is she who has persistently demanded that the voters be taken seriously.
Leading a New Party
Patricia de Lille has the support of colleagues both in parliament and outside – people with deep commitment and conscience but at the same time experienced, realistic and balanced. Their unifying commitment is to the principle of rigorous accountability and utter honesty and transparency in public affairs. The time has come to establish a new and independent party that is destined to break the logjam in our politics.
Principles and Policies
Accountability, transparency and effective government:
Patricia de Lille’s commitment is to South Africans, not to power or position. She stands, first and foremost for accountability to the voters and transparency as the foundations on which effective government has to be built.
A core democrat who dislikes ideologues:
Patricia de Lille is far too aware of the complexities of the real world to have grandiose ideologies. She cannot be labelled and lumped with any school or category of politicians. Nobody could seriously attempt to depict her as radical, conservative, neo-liberal, nationalist, populist or anything else.
First and foremost, however, she is a committed democrat. As such she believes simply that policy must have no other purpose than to improve the lives and opportunities of all South Africans.
A commitment to “win-win” solutions:
Many would argue that the needs of the rich and the poor or of blacks and whites in South Africa are so different that general priorities are impossible, that policies that benefit some must be at a cost to others. Patricia de Lille will not accept this. Because all South Africans are ultimately dependent on each other, policy should not harm some for the sake of others. There are win-win solutions in South Africa, and it is to these that Patricia de Lille is committed.
Fearless independence:
It is for these reasons that Patricia de Lille sees her new initiative as “independent” – independent of any particular ideology and of any specific economic or party political interests.
On the economy:
Patricia de Lille broadly supports an open competitive market economy but believes that the government undermines the effectiveness of its own macro-economic policy through:
- Wasteful expenditure, including the arms deal, a presidential jet, ineffective commissions and regulatory bodies, far too much travel, poor financial controls, and expensive empowerment policies that benefit mainly a new elite.
- Distributing essential welfare through inefficient and poorly motivated bureaucracies.
- More and more laws, regulations and requirements that raise the cost of business and discourage investment and increased employment opportunity.
On inter-group relations:
She believes that narrowly conceived empowerment policies that all too often pit majorities against minorities, undermine cultural richness and create insecurity are leading to an eventual crisis of race relations in South Africa. Empowerment and transformation policy that benefits all groups and classes is possible if government concentrates on training and building capacity rather than controlling outcomes.
Above all, there is a need to tackle massively destabilising problems with clear priorities, consistent action and follow-through:
Rising unemployment, deepening inequality caused by increasing deprivation among the poorest 40% - 50% of the population, sluggish educational improvement and the massive human destruction caused by HIV/Aids must be addressed with single-minded commitment. Government makes some of the right noises but it has too many local and international priorities. Hence it gives only passing attention to problems that will soon undermine our stability and prejudice our humanity and human rights:
- We have more people suffering the ravages of HIV/Aids than any other country on earth but our approach to the pandemic is no more urgent than that of a country with a moderately low infection level
- Young school leavers who do not go on to tertiary education are 90% likely to be unemployed for the rest of their lives. In response the government promises no more than temporary employment in public works and training that benefits the already employed far more than the unemployed
- Our rural development policies are limp, linked as they are to struggling, debt-ridden and over-extended local authorities
- We struggle with complex educational reforms but see no sign of urgent policies to fast-track educational output
These are some of the issues that will destroy the prospects of prosperity for all South Africans.
Patricia de Lille stands for urgent and focused responses to these and other crises.
Summing up
In Patricia de Lille South Africa has a politician who has the support to become a new force for unity and reconciliation in South Africa. She can heal the rifts in our society, not through grand rhetoric about nation building and transformation, but through action and accountability. Above all she stands for urgent and single-minded action on our terrifying national crises.
In her new role of serving the South Africans she cares so deeply about, she will also be saving our democracy from the stagnation and apathy caused by too great a dominance by one party for too long.
Support the Independent Democrats
Patricia de Lille can and will make a big difference, but she cannot do it without support. In supporting her campaign, you will be working for the new South Africa that all of its people need and want.
