The EFF launched its statement of commitments, "the peoples manifesto", in which a plan to rebuild confidence and restore efficiency in local government is outlined on April 30.
Taking to the platform in the historic festival of the poor, at a packed Orlando Stadium, Commander-in-Chief Julius Malema declared that "we do not make promises, we make commitments".
As a point of departure, it's a fact that the EFF is the only new thing that will be happening in these local government elections. It is new in that it is the first time that people will have a choice to vote for the EFF at local government level, all other parties in parliament are not new. Secondly, the EFF is the first openly socialist political party whose vision is influenced by tilting the scales in favour of the working class and the poor.
Our diagnosis of problems that confront local government for poor black people is that the wealth and property relations remain stuck in the colonial mode. White communities have relatively better services, industrial and business opportunities, thus better jobs.
The majority of black people leave their residential areas daily to go and work for whites in white communities. White communities also have better sports, arts and recreational facilities; because property relations are still as when apartheid designed them.
The government, in 22 years of rule, has not managed to eradicate a single township, or build a new city. Instead, under its watch, there has been a boom in informal settlements; those spaceless spaces where our people live in abject poverty and in absolute proximity to rubbish, rats and pigs. Here blacks, just as they did under apartheid, live without basic services: water, sanitation, healthcare, firefighters, electricity and houses.
The most crucial and distinguishing factor about the EFF is that it is unapologetic about its programme of restoring land to black people; starting with settlement land.
The people's manifesto states clearly that: "The people's municipality will pass bylaws which will expropriate and allocate land equitably to all residents of the municipality for residential, recreational, industrial, religious, and agricultural purposes and activities with the principle of use it or lose it".
Anyone who does not have a plan on land cannot resolve half the problems our people face.
The people's manifesto is intent on insourcing local government services: cleaners, security and refuse removal. We also plan to increase state capacity in building and maintaining roads, houses, and all other public spaces.
The state is always building, there is no reason why it should not have internal construction capacity and workers on full time contracts.
Job creation at local government level begins with the state playing an active, corruption-free role in the economy. The p rovision of infrastructure is central to industrialisation to allow, in particular, the informal economy to professionalise and grow.
Street traders are going to be the backbone of a caring people's municipality, because they will be integrated into formal businesses, with big-mall supermarkets being required to buy 70% of goods and services from local producers.
The EFF envisages an integrated economic system of production and distribution of goods and services, in particular, local agriculture. Retail stores such as Pick 'n Pay, Shoprite, Pep Stores and Edgars, if they want to operate in an EFF-run municipality, will have to buy 70% of what they sell from local producers.
This will transform black communities from being consumers from whom white monopoly business makes riches, to participants and beneficiaries in the markets.
The final feature of the people's manifesto is the character of the revolutionary councillor that the EFF demands from its cadres.
Revolutionary councillors stay in the wards they represent, hold community meetings at least once a month, do not offer services in exchange for sex or take bribes. They will also take care of orphans, homeless, elderly and sick. A revolutionary councillor is available 24 hours, seven days a week.
An EFF-run municipality will operate six days a week to ensure that those who work during the week get service on weekends.
The vision of the EFF is to build a people's municipality; only a municipality run in the interest of the poor and the working class will reduce crime. In it, the people come first, and criminals get isolated and dealt with.
The provision of jobs, sporting and arts facilities, parks, a committed police and community safety service will guarantee the reduction of crime.
The EFF people's manifesto is the last hope for jobs and service delivery.
Ndlozi is the EFF spokesperson
EFF manifesto is last hope for jobs, service
The EFF launched its statement of commitments, "the peoples manifesto", in which a plan to rebuild confidence and restore efficiency in local government is outlined on April 30.
Taking to the platform in the historic festival of the poor, at a packed Orlando Stadium, Commander-in-Chief Julius Malema declared that "we do not make promises, we make commitments".
As a point of departure, it's a fact that the EFF is the only new thing that will be happening in these local government elections. It is new in that it is the first time that people will have a choice to vote for the EFF at local government level, all other parties in parliament are not new. Secondly, the EFF is the first openly socialist political party whose vision is influenced by tilting the scales in favour of the working class and the poor.
Our diagnosis of problems that confront local government for poor black people is that the wealth and property relations remain stuck in the colonial mode. White communities have relatively better services, industrial and business opportunities, thus better jobs.
The majority of black people leave their residential areas daily to go and work for whites in white communities. White communities also have better sports, arts and recreational facilities; because property relations are still as when apartheid designed them.
The government, in 22 years of rule, has not managed to eradicate a single township, or build a new city. Instead, under its watch, there has been a boom in informal settlements; those spaceless spaces where our people live in abject poverty and in absolute proximity to rubbish, rats and pigs. Here blacks, just as they did under apartheid, live without basic services: water, sanitation, healthcare, firefighters, electricity and houses.
The most crucial and distinguishing factor about the EFF is that it is unapologetic about its programme of restoring land to black people; starting with settlement land.
The people's manifesto states clearly that: "The people's municipality will pass bylaws which will expropriate and allocate land equitably to all residents of the municipality for residential, recreational, industrial, religious, and agricultural purposes and activities with the principle of use it or lose it".
Anyone who does not have a plan on land cannot resolve half the problems our people face.
The people's manifesto is intent on insourcing local government services: cleaners, security and refuse removal. We also plan to increase state capacity in building and maintaining roads, houses, and all other public spaces.
The state is always building, there is no reason why it should not have internal construction capacity and workers on full time contracts.
Job creation at local government level begins with the state playing an active, corruption-free role in the economy. The p rovision of infrastructure is central to industrialisation to allow, in particular, the informal economy to professionalise and grow.
Street traders are going to be the backbone of a caring people's municipality, because they will be integrated into formal businesses, with big-mall supermarkets being required to buy 70% of goods and services from local producers.
The EFF envisages an integrated economic system of production and distribution of goods and services, in particular, local agriculture. Retail stores such as Pick 'n Pay, Shoprite, Pep Stores and Edgars, if they want to operate in an EFF-run municipality, will have to buy 70% of what they sell from local producers.
This will transform black communities from being consumers from whom white monopoly business makes riches, to participants and beneficiaries in the markets.
The final feature of the people's manifesto is the character of the revolutionary councillor that the EFF demands from its cadres.
Revolutionary councillors stay in the wards they represent, hold community meetings at least once a month, do not offer services in exchange for sex or take bribes. They will also take care of orphans, homeless, elderly and sick. A revolutionary councillor is available 24 hours, seven days a week.
An EFF-run municipality will operate six days a week to ensure that those who work during the week get service on weekends.
The vision of the EFF is to build a people's municipality; only a municipality run in the interest of the poor and the working class will reduce crime. In it, the people come first, and criminals get isolated and dealt with.
The provision of jobs, sporting and arts facilities, parks, a committed police and community safety service will guarantee the reduction of crime.
The EFF people's manifesto is the last hope for jobs and service delivery.
Ndlozi is the EFF spokesperson
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