By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) announced its “Blueprint to Rescue SA” on Tuesday, which it said would amount to the “most comprehensive legislative reform agenda since 1994”.
Within the first 100 days in office, DA leader John Steenhuisen announced that the party would introduce legislation aimed at rescuing the country from five key sources of State collapse.
Steenhuisen stated that out of all the political parties in South Africa, the DA was probably the one with the greatest appreciation for the true role of Parliament.
He highlighted that in addition to prioritising the physical reconstruction of Parliament, the DA published a comprehensive plan, last year, in which it laid out how it would make Parliament work again for the people.
“We will do this by creating a committee to oversee the Presidency, increasing the frequency of presidential questions, and introducing penalties when members of the executive fail to answer questions,” he said.
Steenhuisen promised that the party would also end loadshedding by embracing privatisation, and abolish cadre deployment in favour of merit-based appointments
He highlighted the party would table legislation to rapidly increase private electricity generation and transmission.
Steenhuisen said the DA would reintroduce its Bill to create an Independent Transmission System and Market Operator, saying this entity would be mandated to urgently establish a fully private market for the trading and distribution of electricity.
He noted that South Africa’s next government would either be “a coalition of corruption” with the ANC and EFF at its heart, which he added will “seal this country’s fate”.
Or, he said, the country would see a Multi-Party Charter government with the DA at its heart, which he said would implement the most comprehensive legislative reform agenda seen in more than a generation.
Steenhuisen stressed that the DA was committed to serving as the anchor of a new multi-party government, and said it would carry its Blueprint into coalition negotiations.
“For the first time, the ANC will lose its national majority. For the first time, the ANC will lose its majority in many provinces in the country, and, for the first time, the DA has a pathway to now enter provincial and national government beyond the borders of the Western Cape while also winning our flagship province with a bigger outright majority.”
Steenhuisen added that the private sector could play a huge role in job creation.
The official unemployment rate in the third quarter of 2023 stood at 31,9%.
DA leader said the country’s unemployment crisis can only solved by breaking government monopoly and attracting big investors.
He said the party will also prioritise crime fighting, with the introduction of the Scorpions 2.0 through a constitutional amendment. This will create an independent anti-crime and anti-corruption institution.
The DA will introduce a Devolution Bill to devolve policing powers to competent provincial and local governments, which Steenhuisen explained will not only bring policing closer to the people but will also reduce violent crime by empowering well-run local governments to hire skilled, competent, and properly trained and equipped officers.
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Video Courtesy of MYDA.