In every decision we make—whether in Parliament, in government, or on the global stage— the DA puts South Africa first.
I formed part of the delegation that recently travelled to Washington DC. My
message was clear: There is a lot of work to be done but the country has much
unrealised potential. The DA joined the GNU to prioritise economic growth and
jobs, and to keep the unconstitutional and divisive extremist parties such as the
EFF and the MK from doing irreparable harm to South Africa. See what we had to
say during our meeting with President Trump here.
One of the issues raised was the urgent need to address rural safety. Violent attacks on farmers and rural communities are not only a human tragedy—they are a direct threat to food security and economic development. I will be leading a campaign pushing for real solutions: better rural policing, harsher sentences and smarter resource allocation.
The importance of rural safety is deeply connected to another urgent issue: hunger. The latest Stats SA General Household Survey confirms what too many South Africans already know—one in four people in our country went hungry in 2024. This is not just a number. It is a national emergency. No South African child should go to bed hungry while food is wasted or farms lie fallow because of policy failure and crime.
Economic growth, and on the back of this, an increase in job opportunities remain
our number one priority. South Africans do not want to live a life dependent on
welfare. They want to live a life of opportunity, dignity and hope. That is why we
fought to scrap the unlawful VAT hike. Budget 3.0 was tabled in May, the DA will
support this budget and once it been passed, the real work begins – like shifting
our national policy direction towards a bold, inclusive agenda to grow the economy
and create jobs.
This is exactly what Minister of Communication and Digital Technologies, Solly
Malatsi intends on doing with the recently gazetted policy directive. The directive
aims to make empowerment in telecommunications benefit as many South
Africans as possible. The draft policy aims fit better internet access – especially
for rural communities and the poor. The issue is access. Too many South Africans
are without access to information. Without it we cannot promote education, skills
development, or help our people lift themselves out of poverty. Access is the
path to security – from crime or malnutrition. See Solly’s comments during his
Department’s committee meeting here to increase choice and will result.
With the DA in governing at a local, provincial and National level, whether at home or abroad, in Cabinet or in our communities, we fight for every South African to thrive, based on the values of freedom, fairness, opportunity and diversity.