What some political parties promise ahead of elections

Confused about which party to vote for in the upcoming general elections?

With President Cyril Ramaphosa having announced May 29 as voting day; here is a summary of what some political parties are offering in their manifestos to win your vote.

Electricity: 

EFF

It would ensure the security of electricity supply for at least the next 20 years by emulating successful models like that of China, to foster national sovereignty and sustainable economic growth.

"The EFF government will subsidise embedded electricity alternatives for public institutions such as public health facilities, schools and police stations and households to encourage the adoption of sustainable energy solutions."

Build One SA (BOSA)

Plans to pass legislation that will revitalise SA's energy system by adopting a back-to-basics approach which ensures that the relationship between energy market players and end-users benefits from a prudent and rational decision-making approach.

"We want to give South Africans more freedom to choose who they want to partner with to obtain their energy. We want companies to be free to choose whether they want to enter the market to generate, distribute and sell electricity."

RISE Mzansi

It supports a balanced, green energy mix and believes coal should steadily decrease as a primary energy source and that solar, wind and energy storage should be scaled up.

"For baseload generation and energy security, we are open to a role for gas in the transition, as well as next generation nuclear-based on small, modular reactors." The party says tax deductions for residential rooftop solar should be increased and that low-income communities should be assisted to develop their own energy cooperatives.

"...All low-income households will be provided with free electricity between 9am and 3pm each day."

DA

It says to "rescue" SA from its energy crisis, the country needs to get the state out of the power generation business, diversify the energy mix, and encourage the emergence of private prosumers (individuals who both produce and consume electricity) to bring load shedding to an end. 

"The DA will secure our country’s power supply and end load shedding by breaking up the Eskom monopoly and enabling increased self-generation among consumers, businesses, and municipalities in good standing."

Jobs: 

EFF

It would establish state-owned housing and roads companies that will deal with the social housing and roads infrastructure backlog. In the short to medium term, this will result in nearly 4-million jobs. It would also establish a state-owned security company that will insource all security personnel working in government facilities. It believes that this would immediately create 1.2-million sustainable and quality jobs without departing from the existing government budget expenditure.

Build One SA

It would invest in entrepreneurs who establish businesses in townships and rural communities by collaborating with the private sector to establish business training and mentorship programmes for entrepreneurs in need. It would fast track the growth of the SMME sector by increasing the financing and the availability of venture capital. 

Rise Mzansi

It would urgently tackle constraints to investment and employment. It would also adopt a multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral approach to improve basic education outcomes and to provide skills training opportunities to those without skills, whether they have matric or not.

It says it would support entrepreneurs with upskilling and access to capital at competitive lending rates to reduce enterprise failure, grow the economy and create employment opportunities.

DA

It would create 2-million new jobs and adds that to get more people into jobs, the labour market needs to be loosened up, upskill the workforce and make it easier for businesses to invest in the economy. It would empower seven out of 10 unemployed young people by giving 18 to 35-year-olds who have been unemployed for 12 months or more a competitive edge by exempting them from restrictive labour regulations.

Education:

EFF

It would criminalise parents who do not take their children to school. It would ensure that all schools have access to adequate sanitation and that pit latrines are completely eradicated and replaced with safe and adequate flushing toilets.

All students will fall under one school system and all matric learners will write the same examinations. The Independent Examination Board will be abolished.

The party also promises to provide scholar transport for all pupils who stay more than 2km from their school and prioritise local taxi associations in the procurement process.

Build One SA

It says SA's education system requires a complete overhaul.

The party would introduce an independent education ombud that would hold the government accountable for its poor performance. It would raise salaries for educators and curtail unions’ power because teacher-to-student ratios are a significant factor contributing to the quality of learning. It would also replace life orientation with something more rigorous and would incentivise top-performing students.

RISE Mzansi

It will improve basic education outcomes and provide skills training opportunities to those without skills, whether they have matric or not. It pledges to improve the quality of teaching in all subjects, especially science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

DA

The party says to rescue South Africans from a failing education system, it will ensure that each child gets 210 full teaching days per year, that teachers are competent and that sufficient time is dedicated to developing children’s ability to read, write and calculate.

Healthcare: 

EFF

The party pledges to focus on primary health with a commitment to attain universal health coverage, with the intention of decreasing infant mortality rates, increasing coverage of comprehensive sexual and reproductive, maternal, child and adolescent health services.

It says it will adopt a life-cycle approach to the national healthcare system that focuses on primary healthcare, building 24-hour ideal clinics and disease profiling through public healthcare facilities.

The party says it would expand the training of additional healthcare workers to keep up with both population expansion and urbanisation. To address the short-term needs, it will consider special multi-year work permits for suitably qualified primary healthcare workers and specialists from other countries until we address our own skills shortage.

At national, provincial and hospital level, it says it will install competent administrators, root out procurement corruption, prioritise efficient delivery of equipment and medication, and improve the working conditions of healthcare workers.

DA

The party says politicians need to be removed from the running of healthcare facilities and it will increase access to healthcare services. It says National Health Insurance needs to be rejected in favour of the DA’s universal healthcare coverage model, which, aims to increase access to services in both the public and private health sectors, improve the existing healthcare system and guarantee a basic level of care to all people.

Infrastructure:

EFF

The EFF says its government will upgrade all aging and dysfunctional water infrastructure by 2026 after a complete assessment of the state of the infrastructure in all municipalities. It would also repair water treatment centres by 2026. It says it would build a minimum of two new water treatment facility in each province from 2026.

It says it will ensure that all water services authorities and water service providers have water safety plans for ensuring provision of reliable and safe drinking water for all communities by 2025. It promises to employ 10,000 artisans to repair all leaks in the water infrastructure with the aim of reducing the amount of water lost by leaks to 10% of the current rate by 2025.

Build One SA

Bosa says it would ensure that the infrastructure required to support business development is provided and this would include adequate road infrastructure through a rigorous public works programme, ensuring safe and secure means of public transport and providing adequate ICT infrastructure. It would also ensure that infrastructure for the purposes of international trade – rail and ports – are of a high standard and function reliably.

Rise Mzansi

The party says it would invest in network infrastructure to deliver potable water to every home, sanitation infrastructure for every community and low-cost internet connectivity in every community. Prioritise appropriate housing (access and design) for families who have a member with a child with disabilities or that give care to a person with severe disabilities. It would also build and reorientate public infrastructure to ensure safe mobility for people with various physical disabilities. This includes paved walkways, public transport and other built environment solutions in all communities.

DA

The DA says it would make infrastructure development a top priority by increasing the ratio of gross fixed capital formation from 14% to 30% of GDP. The DA will harness public-private partnerships to strengthen crucial energy, communication, water and transport infrastructure. This strategy is designed to spark industrial expansion and attract investment. It would ensure that funds are exclusively channelled into maintaining water infrastructure.

Safety and Security:

EFF

The EFF government will approach crime fighting with the understanding that crime is a socioeconomic issue, aiming to eradicate it by economically developing communities and providing quality jobs and careers to those involved in criminal activities. It will amend the law to impose a minimum sentence of 25 years for any law enforcement officer found to have committed a serious crime. It will amend the law to ensure that all crimes that are excluded from presidential pardon, such as sexual offences, tampering with essential infrastructure, and murder must be excluded from parole.

Build One SA

Bosa says it would rebuild trust in the police through a focus on accountability.

It says SAPS must be professionalised through the improvement of police leadership and the removal of corrupt and poor-performing members of SAPS. Bosa would recruit and train 120,000 new police officers to increase visible policing and boost specialised detective services at station level. It would also ensure that resources and equipment, such as police vehicles and rape kits, are adequately funded, acquired and maintained for effective and efficient response from all SAPS stations.

RISE Mzansi

The party says it would ensure the senior leadership of the police is ethical and capable, to reverse decades of politicisation.

It promises to appoint a special panel of experts to audit the integrity and competence of the entire senior leadership of the SAPS, followed by the transparent selection and appointment of leaders and managers who are well qualified and are fit and proper. It pledges to invest significant resources in fighting crime at local and national level, on the back of significant changes in police and security cluster leadership.

DA

The DA says it would allow well-run provinces to have more policing power so that they can better fight crime and protect citizens. It believes in a decentralised, locally accountable police force that will bring law enforcement closer to the ground and allow for localised policing strategies tailored to the unique challenges within different communities. The DA says it would move towards evidence-based policing and increase the use of proven technologies to prevent, combat and investigate crime. Identifying crime hotspots will also be central to ensuring the efficient allocation of police resources. It will also address the under-capacity of police by reducing "bloated" senior management.

Immigration: 

EFF

EFF says it will evaluate, identify gaps and shortcomings in existing immigration policies and their effectiveness and repeal any policies or legislation that hinder the movement of people.

RISE Mzansi

RISE Mzansi promises to dramatically reduce irregular immigration, ease entry into SA of skilled workers and frequent travellers and tourists to aid economic development and job creation. It also promises to increase public trust in the management of immigration. The party also says it would extend SA borders by addressing immigration flows long before they reach the country.

BOSA

Bosa says it would ensure immigration laws allow for easy access of skilled labour in sectors requiring skills.

DA

The DA says it would tailor immigration policies to attract top-level researchers and excellent academics from around the world.

chabalalaj@sowetan.co.za