WHY WE SUPPORT WILMOT JAMES

Two Tshwane-based DA members, Michael Shackleton and Dumisani Thwala state the case for Wilmot James to lead the Democratic Alliance.

The Democratic Alliance is inherently a democratic party. Robust debate is the hallmark of any democracy and it is with this in mind that we put our views forward as committed members of a Party that we care about very deeply.

With BEE being one of the most hotly-debated items on the political transformation agenda, it is with great interest to note that the front-runners for the position of DA Federal Leader at the upcoming 2015 Federal Congress, have opposing views on how best to implement it. We are, of course, referring to Wilmot James and Mmusi Maimane respectively, who both serve the Party and the people of South Africa in the National Assembly.

The current employment equity scorecard ranks ownership at 25 points, management control at 15 plus 4 bonus points, skills development at 20 plus 5 bonus points, new enterprise and supplier development at 40 points while socio-economic development receives a meagre 5 points.

Dr Wilmot James feels that BEE should be socio-economically based when choosing beneficiaries, which we wholeheartedly agree with. When one considers the now defunct Aurora and the number of times top politicians and their families are linked to BEE deals, it is clear that socio-economic considerations present a key developmental tool for growing the pool of beneficiaries and spreading wealth.

Seemingly a small bunch of elites have had access to all the major BEE deals in the economic history of our democracy, yet without shame they remain top of the list for further BEE deals. That is the main problem we have with the race-based approach which Mr Maimane has in mind, as there is no safety net that will ensure that the same people are on the receiving end do not continue receiving benefits although they have already been empowered. A race-based model of employment equity also means that large corporations and established businesses in fact piggy back on fronted faces and companies simply because the colour is right.

Does BEE have a place in our economy? The answer is a deafening yes, however, it should be redefined and aim to boost and assist small businesses and uplift communities to a point that they can be self-sufficient even after the BEE deals and contracts have expired. At the heart of this problem is also a government that believes in state-led economic growth while the country has so much potential to tap into sectors and markets that can only truly be developed by an economy driven by the free market.

The DA needs to champion non-racialism.

A race-based approach to employment equity cannot achieve that. If someone is impoverished, they are impoverished. The DA is based on a philosophy called the Open Opportunity Society For All. It means that regardless of where you come from, or who you are, a DA government will provide the opportunities and environment for you to succeed.

It would make no sense for life under the DA to exclude certain people from the workforce just because they happen to have been born with a certain skin colour.

As Wilmot James said himself, “race is a bad proxy.”

The current system in place by the ANC government which is race-based, sees the connected few receive key state contracts whilst the poorest of the poor in the township areas in which we are based (Hammanskraal and Soshanguve respectively), remain marginalised from the economy.

A socio-economic approach would help to uplift these very people. Again, Wilmot James provides the solutions. He has said on the campaign platform for the position of Leader of the Party, that employment equity must be coupled with training.

Further, the life experience of Dr James as well as his experience in the Party and his international connections which will boost party funding make him our ideal candidate.

He is the only candidate for DA Federal Leader who has proposed changes to how the Party will function internally under his leadership, making it easier for politicians to get their work done, and making the DA a force that constantly presents alternative policies, not simply those of the ANC.

His career in academia makes him a great asset as far as his potential to coordinate policy for the entire Party is concerned.

Indeed, it is Wilmot James that is behind the DA’s 8% economic growth plan, which will see South Africa’s economy grow at 8% per annum, which we believe will in turn create jobs for all South Africans.

He is a man of substance. He is a man of experience.

He is ready to lead.

Michael Shackleton is a DA Councillor in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality.

Dumisani Thwala is a member of the DA Gauteng Provincial Executive as well as the DA Federal Council.

Both write in their personal capacities.