Over the past two days, the Federal Council of the Democratic Alliance (DA) – the party’s highest decision-making body between Federal Congress – convened at Nkululeko House, Johannesburg for its last sitting ahead of the party’s Policy Conference to be held on the 4th and 5th of April 2020.
STATE OF THE NATION
Federal Council considered President Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered in Parliament on Thursday the 13th of February. This follows the nation-wide tour we embarked on called the “Real State of the Nation Tour”, visiting diverse communities and interacting with ordinary South Africans in our quest to access the real state of the nation.
Economic growth has ground to a halt, direct foreign investment is down, tax revenues are down, crime is up and 10.4 million South Africans are without jobs while more are being lost in their hundreds of thousands under the watch of President Cyril Ramaphosa.
We have seen the people of Mamusa, eMlahleni, Upington, Butterworth and other corruption ridden Municipalities live without water, toilets or usable roads.
At the back of this, power has been taken off the people as the failing Eskom continues to implement rolling blackout while government sees no urgency in diversifying our energy sector and selling off failing SOEs. While dangerous and disastrous policies continue to be implemented and proposed by the ANC government.
This is why Federal Council believes that President Cyril Ramaphosa blew his last and only opportunity to announce bold reforms that will usher in a path towards prosperity. These include:
- Switching off Eskom’s life support machine and supporting the DA’s electricity plan which takes power from the state and gives it to the people;
- Pulling the plug on the dangerous National Health Insurance. There is no way we can afford the additional R280 billion required for the NHI without triggering a flight of both tax revenue and skills that we will never be able to reverse;
- He should have announced the end of and walking away from Expropriation of Property Without Compensation, and interference with Section 25 of the Constitution;
- Devolving the powers of SAPS to provinces and metros, in line with international best practice;
- Put an end to the cadre deployment policy by announcing a skills audit for public servants to ensure that we have highly skilled and qualified individuals to help reform our nation and not the connected elites.
We will now begin the process of putting together an action plan for our parliamentary and legislature caucuses to accelerate our fight in the interest of all South Africans.
DA GOVERNANCE
Western Cape
Federal Council congratulated Premier Alan Winde and his team on the State of the Province Address delivered this week.
The Western Cape SOPA reaffirmed the DA’s commitment to building a prosperous nation and putting the people first through ground-breaking initiatives that enable his government to deliver services as well as a stable working economy.
Premier Winde announced future focused commitments to the people of the province, these are:
- The establishment of a special Safety Cabinet, to meet every six weeks to report back on the work done to make the Western Cape safer;
- The Western Cape government will work with municipalities who want to establish their own Red Tape Reduction Units to help businesses thrive. A new dedicated Municipal Economic Support Unit, housed within the Department of Economic Development, will help to ensure that these units are launched;
- The province has announced a 4-point energy diversification plan to help give back power to the people and keep the lights on. The Western Cape is well on track to be the first loadshedding-free province in the country;
- Continue the work of the recently-launched Economic War Room, using world-class methodology to address burning problems and help accelerate economic growth in the province;
- Plans underway to finalise the establishment of the Western Cape’s very own Children’s Commissioner – a dedicated champion to protect and promote children’s rights in the province;
- 3 605 housing opportunities in phase one of the Conradie Park Development, with half of these earmarked for affordable housing. This project has already commenced;
- Housing Opportunity Priority Group to now include backyard dwellers. This means that every time the Western Cape launches a greenfield project, backyarders will also be prioritised;
- Continue fighting for the control of passenger trains to ensure much-needed improvement to the rail system. The province is already proceeding with a full feasibility study on shifting passenger rail away from the control of national government.
Midvaal
The Auditor General has awarded the DA-led Midvaal Municipality another clean audit for the 2018/19 financial year, the sixth consecutive award since 2013.
We are proud of the continued good governance practices and management of financial resources in a sustainable manner towards service delivery. Midvaal remains the best performing municipality in Gauteng.
We commend Mayor Bongani Baloyi and his team for this exceptional performance. This is further evidence that where we govern as the DA, we govern better.
Tshwane
Council noted and welcomed the resignation of Stevens Mokgalapa as the Mayor of Tshwane.
We are also satisfied with the process undertaken by the Federal Executive and the selection panel to appoint Randall Williams as our Mayoral Candidate.
Councillor Williams has been a long-serving Councillor who served as a member of the city’s Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Economic Development and Spatial Planning and as Chairman of the Municipal Appeals Tribunal between 2016 and 2019.
We believe that Councillor Williams is an excellent mayoral candidate who stands ready to continue the DA-led coalition programme of progress and delivery made in the city.
We will always commit to putting the people of Tshwane and their needs first.
POLICY CONFERENCE
Federal Council is pleased that preparations for the upcoming policy conference are proceeding smoothly in line with the deadlines the party has agreed on. To date, we have publicly released the draft Values and Principles document. In the next few weeks, the Policy Unit will continue to engage with various provincial councils as part on the ongoing internal consultation process. On Friday, 28 February the party will release the framework for the Economic Justice policy as part of our commitment to get as much extensive input as practically possible.
FEDERAL CONGRESS
Federal Council is satisfied with the progress made in relation to preparations of the upcoming Federal Congress to be held on 30-31 May 2020, at the Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand, Johannesburg.
Nominations for leadership positions were officially opened on the 16th of February 2020.
The following positions are to be elected:
- Federal Leader
- Federal Chairperson
- Three Deputy Federal Chairpers
- Furthermore, members of the Federal Council elect a Chairperson and two Deputy Chairpersons, as well as a Federal Chairperson of Finance.
Nominations received will be interrogated by the Federal Statutory Obligations Department under the direction of Greg Krumbock MP and Desiree van der Walt MP, Electoral Officers of the Federal Congress elections.
Federal Council emphasized that all candidates contesting these positions and their supporters are required to uphold the DA’s Standards of Conduct for Internal Elections which outlines the rules of engagement. This document clearly stipulates that “the Party accepts that campaigning for offices may be robust but expects campaigns to be conducted in a way which is in the best interest of the Party and its supporters.” Any behaviour that is inconsistent with these rules will not be tolerated at all.
The deadline for nominations is 16:00 on the 9th of May 2020.
Federal Council resolved to obtain a legal opinion to clarify the composition of the delegates to ensure that there is absolutely no confusion about who qualifies as a delegate in good standing.
ORGANIZATIONAL RESTRUCTURING
Federal Council noted the misleading reports about the state of the organization’s human resources. Contrary to the lies in the reports, the party has initiated an organizational restructuring process – in line with the previous federal council resolution on the recommendation by the review panel report – to align our staff composition with our political objective between now and the next national elections. This is no extraordinary development as it has been the norm following every national election in the past.
With regards to the vacancy of the CEO, the party is satisfied with the process to finalize the conclusion of the appointment of the CEO by 1 April 2020.
SCHWEIZER-RENEKE
Council resolved to accept the recommendation from the Federal Executive to refer the report to the Federal Legal Commission for investigation on the internal impact of the report. The party has already held engagements with the key stakeholders in Schweizer-Reneke on the findings of the report.
GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
The DA is disturbed by the ongoing spate of gender-based violence incidents throughout the country. The party expressed its condolences to the family of the 8-year old Tazne van Wyk who was brutally murdered by a repeat offender.
In Parliament we will now embark on a full review of the entire parole system in South Africa by submitting Parliamentary questions to the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola.
We demand answers on:
- Conditions on which perpetrators are granted parole;
- Government’s policy regarding parole release; and
- How parolees are monitored once released.
On a daily basis families across our country are confronted by the devastating news that their mothers, daughters and sisters have lost their lives due to the gross negligence in the parole system.
PASSING OF RAY SWART
Federal Council noted with sadness the passing of the Progressive Federal Party (PFP) stalwart, anti – apartheid campaigner and former Member of Parliament, Ray Swart. He played a crucial role in the fight for human rights, the rule of law and ushering in a new democratic South Africa, we pay tribute to him and send our heartfelt to his family and loved ones.
CONCLUSION
The State of the Nation Address has laid bare that the ANC is never going to fix SA, as such the DA is South Africa’s only hope.
The policy conference and subsequent congress are our opportunity to resolve and reset. They are our opportunity to achieve real unity and common purpose.
After this process, we will emerge united and stronger. We have built good momentum recently and need to keep building on this momentum by focusing on what matters for the people of South Africa.
Federal Council has unanimously agreed on the following:
- Fixing our party – policy conference, federal congress, organisational and constitutional review;
- Where we govern: governing well through honest, accountable and responsive governments will be our number one priority;
- In opposition: driving the issues people care most about and leading with workable, evidence-based solutions;
- Building a new majority – we need to “reach across the aisle” wherever possible to build relationships of trust with those who share our values. Populists that would destroy SA are not just to be found in one party – they are spread across parties. The reformists are also not just in one party. The DA will now lead the charge to unite the reformists ushering in a path towards prosperity and build a new majority.
Thank you.