By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
In marking the Government of National Unity (GNU) first 100 days in office, The Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen, said the party’s priorities would be focused on growing the economy and creating jobs, noting that the party was committed to reducing debt-to-GDP to under 70% by the end of the seventh administration.
Steenhuisen touted a comprehensive spending review in which every programme of government was assessed for impact and those that failed to achieve measurable positive outcomes were cut.
He said this was essential to fund priority commitments such as infrastructure, education, health and security.
The party is also committed to the creation of a competitive energy generation market and significant investment into energy transmission infrastructure in Phase 2 of Operation Vulindlela.
Steenhuisen also noted the need for the immediate concessioning of ports in Cape Town and Richards Bay, and the opening of more terminals in Durban’s port.
He said opening access to freight rail and concessioning the management of the rail network to competent managers, and the creation of a secondary market for broadband, would drive significant investment in the country.
Furthermore, Steenhuisen said digitising Home Affairs, as Minister Leon Schreiber hoped to do, and reforming South Africa’s immigration system to attract remote workers, skilled workers and more tourists, was another priority.
BELA and NHI Acts
Steenhuisen said his party will not, “under any circumstances”, agree to the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Scheme and clauses 4 and 5 of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill, as he announced key medium-term priorities for the party in the Government of National Unity (GNU).
He said that parts of the BELA Act, in its current form, would deprive children of mother-tongue education in single medium schools, and that the NHI would bankrupt South Africa “without improving healthcare or health outcomes”.
“We were very clear about BELA, from the beginning of our negotiations, going into the GNU on the Statement of Intent. The reality is, of cause, in a government the ANC needs to understand that it can’t get everything they want and so too the DA understands it cannot get everything that we want, but it cannot be a situation where the DA’s view and opinions must not be taken into consideration and are not accepted,” Steenhuisen said.
He said his party would not form part of a government where clauses of the Constitution would be violated.
“I believe that there are ways for us to find consensus on these issues. But there are issues which we were very clear about going into the negotiations that we said would be non-negotiable for us, as did the ANC, and we have had to respect those and we have had to compromise on those, “Steenhuisen said.
Phala Phala
Steenhuisen said the party will be seeking clarity from NPA for its reasons no to proceed with prosecutions.
The discussion within the party is that the NPA will be summoned by our members on the justice portfolio committee in parliament to explain their decision,” Steenhuisen said.
He said an explanation was necessary because the Phala Phala matter involved senior government officials, including the president.
“When a decision like this is made and it has obvious implications that reach all the way to the top of government, detailed information should be provided,” he said.
Steenhuisen said once the NPA had given a full explanation to parliament, the DA would then decide how to proceed.
The DA in July indicated that it would come to the defence of the president should the Phala Phala matter result in a motion of no confidence.
“The DA would be unlikely to support a motion of no confidence because, frankly, Phala Phala pales into insignificance in the light of the Matodzi-affidavit and with the acts of blatant corruption associated with state capture,” Steenhuisen said.