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2024 ELECTION MANIFESTO
THE EFF
PLAN OF ACTION ON GENDER AND WOMEN
GENDER AND WOMEN
1. The EFF recognises and acknowledges that women's struggles have worsened in the past 30 years of the democratic dispensation, with women suffering all forms of violations and brutality from all walks of life, especially the government itself.South Africa is a deeply violent society that continues to wrestle with the impact of decades of institutionalized racism, sexism, exclusion, structural violence, and other factors that have continued to undermine human development and positive social cohesion.
2. Women, particularly Black women, disproportionately bear the burden of poverty, limiting their ability to escape abusive situations, pursue education, and achieve financial independence. As the EFF, we assert that addressing economic disparities and poverty is pivotal in breaking the cycle of violence and fostering a society where all individuals can thrive.
3. The EFF believes in the complete emancipation of women and will strive to realize women's liberation through a variety of interventions, with the starting point being to prioritize women in economic emancipation benefits.
4. Women's recognition and empowerment in the workplace is of utmost importance; thus, the EFF government will enact legislation that will ensure fair and just labour laws for women in workplaces.
5. The EFF believes that gender-based violence and related antisocial activities are reinforced and even sustained by the deplorable general conditions of our people; therefore, a key to female emancipation is the emancipation of all. The EFF will emphasize transforming the lives of our people in the ghettos from one of generalized structural violence as a mechanism to end all violence, including violence against women.
6. The EFF government will ensure that the following key interventions are made:
50% women representation in all spheres representing economic benefit, political participation, managerial, and leadership responsibility;
Compulsory gender education and training for all (e.g., at school, work, within the family, church, in the legislative, executive, and civil society);
Education of the police on gender justice and the establishment of specialized law enforcement units to deal with women-related crimes;
Strengthening education of men on patriarchy, sexism, and misogyny; and
Engaging custodians of tradition, faith leaders, and other cultural practitioners to collectively find means to combat the oppression of women.
Developing effective, accessible, and responsive child maintenance court systems
Establishment of a unit within policing and social development to efficiently respond to GBVF cases, especially decentralizing all Family violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences units (FCS) to every police station.
7. The EFF government will implement a new mechanism for reporting gender-based violence. This approach will include home or place of safety visits by police officers who have received appropriate training. These officers will be responsible for taking statements, opening cases, and collecting any other necessary evidence.
8. The EFF government will develop proactive policies that will promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.
9. The EFF government will develop prevention strategies which will address the root causes of violence against women.
10. The EFF government will create more employment opportunities for women, as they remain underrepresented in the labour market across all age groups.
11. The EFF government will develop policies that will enforce a 50% gender representation, targeted at closing the gender gap in all sectors, public and private.
12. The EFF government will improve government support for early childhood development centres to allow women to return to work.
13. The EFF government will provide incentives to businesses and industries that provide childcare at work, a service accessible for both mothers and fathers.
14. The EFF government will promote greater involvement of men in care work, which is necessary to achieve gender equality.
15. The EFF government will provide incentives for care work by paying and protecting those in the care economy more.
16. The EFF government will promote accountability in the South African Police Services with respect to rape investigations and intimate partner violence cases.
17. The EFF government will adopt strategies aimed at capacitating the police, ensuring that the police are equipped with both technical and tactical response resources.
18. The EFF government will empower community-based crime prevention and policing forums to curb the scourge of GBV and femicide and prevention.
19. The EFF government will establish a unit within the police that will work with social development and, to some extent, include justice, to provide a safe space for victims and to pursue justice without fearing for their lives. This will include a seamless process of accessing the services of protection orders for victims in the same safe space without hassle.
20. The EFF government will employ and empower more police and decentralize all FCS units to be allocated in each police station for direct consultation, investigation, and effecting arrests of perpetrators to ensure successful prosecution and secure the harshest conviction for each GBVF crime.
21. The EFF government will strengthen and resource Forensic laboratories for the provision of quicker and more efficient DNA testing for GBVF crimes and empower FCS units to obtain any DNA evidence that will lead to securing successful prosecution and imprisonment of perpetrators.
22. The EFF government will ensure that social development is fully responsible for the provision of safe houses for women to find shelter immediately when their lives are under threat, which will be linked to every police station. This will extend to supporting all NGOs that provide appropriate safe houses for victims.
23. The EFF government will develop comprehensive approaches to address the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) so as to prevent maternal deaths during childbirth, by improving maternal facilities in all clinics and hospitals.
24. The EFF government will train more midwives and doulas to provide maternal support before and after a woman gives birth, as well as introducing home visits for all pregnant women as part of primary healthcare.
25. The EFF government will introduce a special inspectorate in the Department of Labour to monitor, report on, and enforce gender parity and equality in the workplace. Such measures will range from name-and-shame, heavy penalties to the withdrawal of trading licenses in the case of repeat offenders.
26. The EFF government will introduce a whistle-blowing mechanism for reporting all instances of sexual harassment, jobs-for-sex, and gender-based violence in the workplace.
27. The EFF government will initiate a comprehensive research project aimed at recognising work performed by women in the household as formal labour, which contributes to the national economy, GDP, and the formal tax system.
28. The EFF government will develop a seamless and effective child maintenance system that is easily accessible and responsive in our courts. This will ensure that no single mother is struggling to receive support, especially financial and emotional support from fathers, and those who neglect or do not comply shall be prosecuted.
29. The EFF government will strengthen the laws and prosecute anyone who practices ukuthwala, especially directed at young girls, and will repeal all laws that allow any girl child under the age of 18 to be married through any means.
30. The EFF government will prosecute, stop licenses, and remove names of all doctors from the medical council that violate women when they seek medical care in health facilities.
31. The EFF government will introduce a law that will decriminalize sex work and regulate sex work as work to prevent the criminalization of women who engage in the sex work business, as well as ensuring their safety in conducting their business in peace without being victimized and falling prey to all unscrupulous perpetrators.
32. The EFF government will implement multi-pronged solutions in addressing GBVF which includes recognizing the impact of economic vulnerability, unemployment, and poverty on the prevalence of GBVF.
33. The EFF Government will ensure the protection of women during pregnancy and childbirth by taking decisive action against perpetrators of GBVF and forced sterilization, ensuring redress for victims of sexual and obstetric violence including forced sterilization.
34. The EFF government will ensure that Chapter Nine institutions and the health professionals and nursing councils intervene to guarantee investigations into allegations of GBV and coerced/forced sterilization.
35. The EFF government will institutionalize GBVF as a standing item in planning, budgeting, and reporting processes at district and local levels.
36. The EFF government will ensure that the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) and labour courts are trained on the protection of rights of victims/survivors of GBV.
37. The EFF government will ensure that religious institutions develop mutually accountable mechanisms to hold leaders and followers accountable for historical and active cases of abuse timeously.
38. The EFF government will establish concrete timeframes for the development and finalization of the Sex Work Decriminalization Bill into law.
39. The EFF government will integrate sex workers' rights into mainstream services for all workers.
40. The EFF government will ensure that all personnel who work with older persons must be fully vetted to avoid corruption and abuse of older persons.
41. The EFF government will provide training and capacity building for LGBTQIA+ organizations and service providers as sensitized service providers of affirmative healthcare, education, and employment.
42. The EFF government will ensure universal access to standardized GBVF minimum services for all victims/survivors and their families, and provide adequate funding for shelters, including fast-tracking the special needs housing policy.
43. The EFF government will finalize the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Bill for the decriminalization of Sex Work by the end of 2024.
44. The EFF government will develop a category of common law and statutory offenses that constitute GBVF-related offenses in order to establish a national repository for GBVF cases.
45. The EFF government will strengthen DNA evidence collection by fast-tracking the enactment of the Criminal Law (Forensic procedures) Amendment Bill (No. 25 of 2021).
46. The EFF government will ensure fully functioning forensic laboratories and efficient and timely processing of DNA samples.
47. The EFF government will accelerate the establishment of statutory sexual offences courts and improve their functionality by adequately resourcing them, appointing and training additional court preparation officers and ad hoc intermediaries, and ensuring an effective digitized case management system.
48. The EFF government will implement a 40% preferential procurement plan for women-owned businesses. This will be done in conjunction with building local economies around women's cooperatives with the necessary support of local institutions.
49. The EFF government will ensure the effective enforcement of maintenance orders.
50. The EFF government will integrate economic emancipation programmes with psychosocial services.
51. The EFF government will strengthen monitoring, evaluation, and accountability mechanisms on GBVF across the three tiers of government.
52. The EFF government will ensure that there are gender markers and inclusion by the Department of Home Affairs.
PLAN OF ACTION ON LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY
LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY
The EFF affirms and celebrates Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual (LGBTQIA+) persons and all people of diverse sexual orientations. The EFF also acknowledges the existence of other evolving acronyms and terms which people use to describe their gender, sexuality, and sex characteristics. Although there has been some progress on LGBTQIA+ equality in South Africa, there is much more to be done as LGBTQIA+ people face a number of challenges in accessing their rights and are vulnerable to discrimination and hate-motivated violence.
The intersection of gender, race, and social class makes LGBTQIA+ persons even more vulnerable to discrimination and hate-motivated violence. With black lesbian women being the most vulnerable to sexual violence, and more specifically to what is called 'corrective rape,' which is a gruesome act of violence against lesbians and queers. LGBTQIA+ persons are often discriminated against in the labour market, in schools, hospitals, and churches, and they are at-risk group for poor mental health.
They experience depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide at a higher level than the general population. Therefore, more aggressive public awareness campaigns aimed at positively changing social norms which declare LGBTQIA+ sexual preferences as abnormal are needed.
The EFF works tirelessly to eliminate the inequalities that LGBTQIA+ people face due to sexual orientation and trans status. In relation to LGBTQIA+, the EFF government will ensure that the following key interventions are made:
1. The EFF government will raise awareness of the specific needs of LGBTQIA+ people by developing programmes on gender and sexual diversity.
2. The EFF government will monitor & address homophobic hate crimes and introduce harsher sentences for such crimes.
3. The EFF government will introduce ‘X’ gender markers in official documents to enable non-binary people to be legally recognized.
4. The EFF government will provide training to health and social professional staff on LGBTQIA+ identities that address barriers faced due to sexual orientation, trans status; this will extend to the amendment of sex description laws that will empower the Home Affairs department to expedite ID alterations for all applications of transgender people.
5. The EFF government will ensure LGBTQIA+ people have equal access to public services.
6. The EFF government will ensure that LGBTQIA+ people have fair and equal access to reproductive and fertility services.
7. The EFF government will provide necessary funding for LGBTQIA+ inclusive education.
8. The EFF government will ensure all learners leave school with a thorough understanding of gender & sexual diversity through age-appropriate teaching at all levels, embedding learning within the curriculum.
9. The EFF government will ensure better access to services by addressing homophobia, biphobia, & transphobia within public services, and ensure access to free gender-affirming treatment in all healthcare facilities.
10. The EFF government will provide gender-neutral toilets and changing facilities in all public spaces.
11. The EFF government will ensure that frontline police officers receive training on LGBTQIA+ issues so that they can accurately record cases of anti-LGBTQIA+ hate crimes.
12. The EFF government will ensure that gender-based violence services are adequately funded so that they have enough resources to support LGBTQIA+ survivors.
13. The EFF government will establish LGBTQIA+ support services across the country, including in rural and township areas.
14. The EFF government will work with sporting codes to end LGBTQIA+ discrimination in sports, to ensure that LGBTQIA+ people can fully participate in grassroots and community sports.
15. The EFF government will amend the Facilities Regulations Act and related regulations to enable the implementation of gender-neutral toilet facilities in schools, public facilities, and workplaces to benefit transgender populations and people outside of the gender binary.
16. The EFF government will amend the Child Care Act and related legislation to impose penalties for unfair discrimination against LGBTQIA+ individuals in relation to adoption processes.
PLAN OF ACTION ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. The EFF Government will use science, technology, and innovation not as ends in themselves but to produce the knowledge, information, skills, and talent needed to support, facilitate, and fuel the development and growth of strategic industries and sectors of the economy and society, which are central to the overall independence and sovereignty of South African and African people.
2. In order to do this, the EFF government will focus on:
(a) Knowledge acquisition and deepening,
(b) Knowledge creation,
(c) Knowledge transfer,
(d) Developing and nurturing a culture of innovation, and
(e) Ensuring that research and development spending accounts for 2.5% of GDP by 2024,
(f) Investing in state-of-the-art research facilities, laboratories, and technology parks to provide scientists and researchers with the necessary tools and environment,
(g) Increasing public and private sector investment in R&D to fund scientific research and technological advancements by 2025.
(h) Building Science and Technology special economic zones, which will focus on innovation and manufacturing of science and technology with government subsidy by 2026.
3. The EFF will increase research grants, scholarships, and fellowships to encourage individuals and institutions to pursue innovative projects, offering R 1 million per annum for master’s students and R 2 million Rand for Ph.D. students.
4. The EFF government will connect all schools to high-speed fibre by 2025.
5. The EFF government will sponsor a minimum of 1000 students on exchange programmes with AI-advanced universities by 2025.
6. The EFF Government will build Artificial Intelligence laboratories in all Universities and TVET colleges by 2028.
7. The EFF Government will build 90 astronomical observatory centres to encourage young people to study astronomy by 2025.
8. The EFF government will build and upgrade computer and science labs and provide all necessary equipment to every school, creating 5,000 jobs, 2,500 of which will be reserved for women, by 2025.
9. The EFF government will integrate critical thinking and problem-solving into every part of the school curriculum by 2025.
10. The EFF government will integrate the use of Artificial Intelligence technology across the curriculum, and into teaching methods, by 2025.
11. The EFF government will include robotics and coding in the curricula at all schools by 2025.
12. The EFF government will increase the intake in the Science and Technology department at institutions of higher learning at both universities and TVETs on an annual basis.
13. The EFF government will synchronize the goals and needs of the economy with the number of places available at each institution of higher learning.
14. The EFF government will incentivize the studying of science, engineering, software development, robotics, and artificial intelligence.
15. The EFF government will connect all institutions of higher learning to high-speed fibre by 2025.
16. The EFF government will provide each student with a laptop by 2025.
17. The EFF government will fast-track the digitization of institutions of higher learning according to annual targets.
18. The EFF government will integrate the use of technology into all fields of study at institutions of higher learning by 2025.
19. The EFF government will support and protect the following industries while incentivizing and encouraging innovation and the use of technology within these industries, thereby creating jobs:
Agriculture and animal husbandry Health care and pharmaceuticals Energy
Water and sanitation Environment
Transport, aerospace, and drones Biotechnology
Mining
Information and communications technology Industrialization and manufacturing
Robotics, artificial intelligence, and big data Defence and cybersecurity
20. The EFF government will establish a venture capital investment in technology start-ups and innovative projects to foster a culture of entrepreneurship by providing support for start-up ecosystems and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the technology sector.
21. The EFF government will build and establish two seed banks by 2025, creating 3,000 jobs, 1,600 of which will be reserved for women and the youth.
22. The EFF government will build three agricultural research and development centres, focused on animal husbandry, seeds, and soil and irrigation by 2025, creating 7,000 jobs, 3,600 of which will be reserved for women and the youth.
23. The EFF government will train 25,000 farm workers by 2025 on how to operate new farming machinery and computers.
24. The EFF government will improve the HANIS (Home Affairs National Identification System) and eliminate paper-based application forms across all sectors by 2026.
25. Through its State Information and Technology Agency, the EFF government will build a Data Centre for the integrated use by all state entities by 2028.
26. The EFF government will build an integrated rail, road, water, and dam infrastructure monitoring centre in 2027.
27. The EFF government will establish a digital e-filing system linking the entire South African health care system and all records by 2025, creating 4,000 jobs, 2,500 of which will be reserved for women and youth.
28. The EFF government will establish a state pharmaceutical research and development centre focusing on biotechnology and generic pharmaceuticals, tailored to the pharmaceutical needs of South Africa and the continent, by 2025, creating 2,000 jobs, 1,000 of which will be reserved for women and youth.
29. The EFF government will establish two new research and development centres focused on developing cures and treatments for communicable and non-communicable diseases, integrating the use of traditional forms of medicine, by 2025, creating 2,500 new jobs, 1,300 of which will be reserved for women and youth.
30. The EFF government will establish a research and development centre focused on integrating artificial intelligence and robotics into the health system by 2025, creating 1,500 jobs, 800 of which will be reserved for women and youth.
31. The EFF government will establish a research and development centre focused on developing technology in the renewable energy sector and batteries by 2025, creating 2,500 new jobs, 1,300 of which will be reserved for women and youth.
32. The EFF government will establish a research and development centre focused on nuclear technology and the disposal of nuclear waste by 2024, creating 2,500 new jobs, 1,200 of which will be reserved for women and youth.
33. The EFF government will establish a research and development centre focused on oil and gas refining and the development of clean coal and oil use by 2025, creating 2,000 jobs, 1,000 of which will be reserved for women and youth.
34. The EFF government will increase the number of artisans and engineers employed by Eskom at a 10% annual rate over the next five years, with 60% of all new artisans and engineers employed being women and youth.
35. The EFF government will establish two research and development centres focused on sewage, dam development and irrigation, and desalination by 2025, creating 3,500 jobs, 1,800 of which will be reserved for women and youth.
36. The EFF government will increase the number of artisans and engineers employed by the Department of Water and Sanitation at a 10% annual rate over the next five years, with 60% of all new artisans and engineers employed being women and youth.
37. The EFF government will employ 250 software developers, 125 of whom will be women, to provide AI-driven solutions to water management and water scarcity by 2025.
38. The EFF government will complete the digitisation of South Africa’s railway network by 2025, creating 2,500 jobs.
39. The EFF government will employ 350 software developers, 175 of whom will be women, by 2025 to provide AI-driven traffic solutions for South African cities and rail networks.
40. The EFF government will expand the mandate and budget of the South African National Space Agency, creating 7,500 jobs by 2025.
41. The EFF government will establish a research and development centre by 2025, which will be accountable to the Departments of Defence and Transport and will focus on drone development, creating 7,500 jobs, 4,000 of which will be reserved for women.
42. The EFF government will upskill 50,000 miners, 20,000 of whom will be women, by 2025 so that they have the skills to operate new mining machinery and computer systems.
43. The EFF government will establish a new research and development centre by 2025, focusing on new uses for minerals and mineral beneficiation, new methods of mining, and safer methods of mining, creating 10,000 jobs, 5,000 of which will be reserved for women and youth.
44. The EFF government will employ 20,000 new people in cybersecurity, 10,000 of whom will be women and youth, by 2025.
45. The EFF government will employ 300 software developers, 150 of whom will be women and youth, to provide AI-driven solutions to policing and the allocation of police resources in South Africa by 2025.
46. The EFF government will facilitate, coordinate, and incentivise vertical and horizontal cooperation and coordination between institutions of higher learning, research and development centres, state-owned enterprises, and productive and strategic sectors of the economy.
47. The EFF government will coordinate and facilitate the transfer of skills from the education system to the strategic and productive areas of the economy.
48. The EFF government will encourage and incentivise the application of research and development findings to the various production processes of SOEs and private companies.
49. The EFF government will establish and fund research and development units at all SOEs by 2025, creating 12,000 jobs, 6,000 of which will be reserved for women.
50. The EFF government will require SOEs to spend at least 2% of their budget on research and development by 2025.
51. The EFF government will fast-track the digitisation of all SOEs.
52. The EFF government will encourage the use of artificial intelligence, robotics, and advanced technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution at SOEs.
53. The EFF government will establish artificial intelligence, robotics, and biotechnology SOEs, creating 45,000 jobs by 2024, 23,000 of which will be reserved for women and the youth.
54. The EFF government will protect and subsidise companies focusing on advanced Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies.
55. The EFF government will provide tax incentives for companies in strategic sectors of the economy that allocate more than 2.5% of their budget to research and development.
56. The EFF government will both regulate and nationalise telecommunications companies.
57. The EFF government will significantly reduce the cost of data.
58. The EFF government will roll out fibre across the country with the goal of universal internet access by 2026, creating 25,000 jobs, 12,500 of which will be reserved for women.
59. The EFF government will fast-track the migration from analogue to digital transmission.
60. The EFF government will subsidise the production of ICT hardware, ICT software, robots, artificial intelligence, and biotechnologies.
61. The EFF government will use state financial institutions and SOEs to invest in ICT infrastructure.
62. The EFF government will launch five communication and GPS satellites belonging to the state or SOEs by 2027.
63. The EFF government will require each department, SOE, and municipality to submit an annual report detailing how they have implemented innovative solutions and used technologies, particularly advanced Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, to improve service delivery and meet their mandates.
64. Research and development will account for 8% of prescribed developmental goals set by the state as a sole or majority shareholder.
65. The EFF will roll out free Wi-Fi in all schools, institutions of higher learning, and public parks.
66. The EFF will compel multinational technology companies such as Bolt, Twitter, Facebook and others to have headquarters here in South Africa and hire people in South Africa.
PLAN OF ACTION ON MINING
MINING
1. The EFF government will return the ownership of the mineral wealth of the country to the hands of all the people of South Africa by nationalizing the mines by 2028 in line with the minimum commitments made by the people of South Africa in the Founding Manifesto.
2. The EFF government will, in the run-up to the nationalization process, conduct a robust consultation process involving all existing stakeholders in the mining sector, including the current foreign and local owners, mineworkers, affected communities, and traditional leaders, regarding the process.
3. The EFF government will propose various mechanisms to forge strategic partnerships and agreements with the abovementioned stakeholders including public-private-partnerships, long leases, employee ownership programs, and other structures aimed at enhancing the capacity of the state to operate mining operations.
4. The EFF government will establish a state mining company as the vehicle through which to exercise total or majority ownership of all South African mining assets.
5. The EFF government will introduce the necessary amendments to the MPRDA and related regulations. If necessary, new legislation will be introduced to cater for the new regime based on state ownership and custodianship.
6. The EFF government shall introduce a minimum of R20,000 for rock drill operators and other equivalent grades.
7. The EFF government will seek inter-continental agreements for cooperation with like-minded African countries which have common minerals in order to increase the capacity to determine prices and coordinate other conditions of global trading in those minerals.
8. The EFF government will develop and implement a comprehensive beneficiation plan for each mineral category with the aim of creating millions of primary and tertiary jobs directly and indirectly linked to the mineral resources of the country and the continent.
9. The EFF government will develop mining development and beneficiation schools in Rustenburg in the North West, Kimberley in the Northern Cape, Phalaborwa in Limpopo, Randfontein in Gauteng, and Emalahleni in Mpumalanga, each specialising in the minerals found in their respective areas of existence.
10. The EFF government will focus on the development and production of targeted numbers of black and women industrialists and entrepreneurs in the mining space and associated sectors.
11. The EFF government will redevelop the railway network to the port of Richards Bay and other alternative ports used for the exporting of minerals, and free up road space from trucks and other inefficient means of the logistical distribution of minerals.
12. The EFF government shall vigorously pursue environmentally friendly policies and mining methods so as to gradually and drastically reduce dependence on coal over a defined period of time dictated by the economic needs of the country and the continent.
13. The EFF government will introduce a system of calculating the relationship between the surpluses realized from the mining sector and gradually reducing the tax rates and other levies applicable to individuals and companies active in the sector so as to incentivize productivity, efficiency, and sustainability.
14. The EFF government will track all retired mineworkers so as to repay unclaimed pensions, ensure that the state pays for medical expenses in respect of those suffering from legacy diseases, and offering bursaries and other benefits targeted specifically at families of ex-mineworkers.
15. The EFF government will develop policies to regulate and control artisanal and small-scale mining so as to eliminate lawlessness and the exploitation of vulnerable workers by greedy syndicates with no regard for the safety and health of workers. Any mineral reclamation projects will only be approved subject to a stringent licensing regime, which will take into consideration the economic viability of the project, its capacity to create jobs, and its environmental impact, among others, and whose chief aim will be to integrate the artisanal and small-scale mining sector into the formal and mainstream economy.
16. The EFF government will conduct mass-based consultative and democratic processes with local communities in which greenfields mining projects have been proposed, such as the Xolobeni case and similar communities.
17. The EFF government will close all illegal exit points which are currently available to private mining houses for the illicit movement of minerals out of the country, such as the Fire Blade private airport utilized by the Anglo American Corporation at the OR Tambo International Airport.
18. The EFF government will abolish and outlaw the prevalent tendency of mining companies to shift their profits to so-called safe havens as a method to understate their performances and to evade taxes and other duties due to the fiscus.
19. The EFF government will ensure the industrialization of mining towns to build alternate economies so that they will not turn into ghost towns and health hazards when the extraction of minerals will have been exhausted so as to avoid the occurrence of disasters such as what happened at Jagersfontein.
20. The EFF government will instruct mining companies to use local goods and services in mining operations to promote economic linkages and support local industries and mining communities.
21. The EFF government will amend and strengthen the National Environmental Management Act and other progressive legislation so as to ensure stricter prevention and the criminalization of the prevalent practice of the dumping of toxic waste and to enforce stricter rehabilitation commitments beyond the economic life of their operations.
22. The EFF government will allocate key shares in South Africa's mineral and petroleum resources to the Sovereign Wealth Fund, ensuring that national wealth benefits all citizens.
23. The EFF government will lead the process of rapid beneficiation of South Africa’s mineral resources through the state mining company, focusing on developing these resources into finished products within the country.
24. The EFF government will establish mining development and beneficiation schools in specific regions such as Rustenburg in the North West, Kimberley in the Northern Cape, Phalaborwa in Limpopo, the West Rand in Gauteng, and Witbank in Mpumalanga, to provide localized training and development solutions.
25. The EFF government will actively promote the development of black industrialists, cooperatives, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the mining industry, to enhance economic growth and job creation.
26. The EFF government will introduce an amendment to the Minerals and Petroleum Development Act, mandating local beneficiation of mineral resources and setting export quotas to ensure a significant portion of raw mineral resources are processed into finished industrial products within South Africa.
27. The EFF government will strategically exploit the country’s coal resources through the state mining company to ensure affordable and readily available coal, thereby supporting the expansion of Eskom’s electricity generation and redistribution capabilities.
28. The EFF government will commission research to develop a sustainable method of extracting shale gas, diversifying the country’s energy sources and reducing dependence on coal.
29. The EFF government will regulate and promote small-scale mining in specific regions such as Kimberley in the Northern Cape, the Namaqualand Coast in the Northern Cape, Marikana in North West, and Emalahleni in Mpumalanga, ensuring community-driven mining development.
30. The EFF government will listen to and take direction from the people of Xolobeni on any development, including mining, in their area, respecting local voices and concerns.
31. The EFF government will compel mining companies that have left denuded mining landscapes, such as Anglo in the Namaqualand Coast, to invest in the rehabilitation of these areas and create sustainable jobs from such efforts.
32. The EFF government will revitalize abandoned mining towns like Welkom in the Free State, Okiep, and Poffader in the Northern Cape, establishing mining-based manufacturing industries to rejuvenate these communities.
33. The EFF government will track all ex-mineworkers and their close family members to ensure they gain access to their pension funds and receive adequate support.
34. The EFF government will utilised unused mine rehabilitation funds paid by mines to create jobs in mining towns.
PLAN OF ACTION ON NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE
NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE
1. The EFF government will adopt a long-term funding framework for infrastructure development and will explore different build, operate, and transfer models as a means of infrastructure delivery, working with community and private sector to build infrastructure through public-private partnerships and the use of community bonds.
2. The EFF government will maximally use infrastructure development and expansion as a means for massive labour-absorbing industrialisation for the upstream and downstream sectors.
3. The EFF government will adopt technological advancements to improve the sustainability and efficacy of infrastructure and implement intelligent infrastructure solutions to improve maintenance and management.
4. The EFF government will establish the following state-owned companies and provide them with strategic and financial support:
(a) A state-owned housing building construction company.
(b) A state-owned roads construction company.
(c) A state-owned rail network construction company.
(d) A state-owned cement company.
5. The EFF government will introduce laws that compel large corporations to directly contribute to the construction of schools, hospitals, and other important social development projects and programmes.
6. The EFF government will develop maintenance for all public infrastructure and will insource all maintenance personnel workers.
Road infrastructure:
1. The EFF government will pave (Tar) at least 10,000km of National Road
Infrastructure by 2028.
2. The EFF government will pave (Tar) all roads connecting cities, township, and villages by 2028.
3. The EFF government will eradicate all potholes on major municipal and provincial roads by 2028.
4. The EFF government will resurface and rehabilitate all bridges and road surfaces that have passed their engineering designed lifespan by 2028.
5. The EFF Government will increase the cross-border road concession with bordering countries to improve on road traffic mobility for both passengers and goods.
6. The EFF will ensure that all roads that lead to airports are properly surfaced and monitored for safety by 2026.
7. The EFF will add the number of traffic control centres on all major roads to control truck loading and movement thereof by 2028.
8. The EFF government will introduce a no truck time zone (between 19:00 to 06:00) to limit number of accident cause by fatigue on the road by 2024.
Railway infrastructure:
The EFF government will use the Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) model to build rail infrastructure for the movement of goods and people, to connect all South Africa trading centres, and with the aim of integrating rail infrastructure with the rest of the continent.
1. The EFF government will expand the railways, purchase new trains, and invest in affordable speed trains along Moloto Road between the Tshwane and Nkangala regions in Mpumalanga, between Soweto and Johannesburg, between Musina and Johannesburg, between Johannesburg and Cape Town, and, vitally, between Durban and Johannesburg to transport people and goods that come from the harbour.
2. The EFF government will revive all cross-border rail lines to ease road congestion and increase the mobility of both passengers and goods.
3. The EFF government will upgrade and refurbish all current public transport railway lines by 2027.
4. The EFF government will increase the number of carriages on public transport railways by 50% by 2027.
5. The EFF government will increase the number of carriages on public transport railways by 35% by 2027.
6. The EFF government will build railway infrastructure in and around its power plants and coal mines to facilitate easy access thereto by 2027.
7. The EFF government will build and upgrade railway infrastructure around all mines and industrial hubs by 2027.
Water and dam infrastructure:
1. The EFF government will ensure that all overdue bulk water projects are completed before 2025. In the Eastern Cape, the Nqamakhwe regional bulk water scheme; in the Free State, Maluti-a-Phofung water and sanitation intervention projects; in Gauteng, Vaal River systems interventions; in Kwazulu Natal, acceleration of the Mandlakazi bulk water scheme in Zululand area; in Limpopo, Giyani WTW Refurbishment; in Mpumalanga, Loskop regional bulk water supply; and in the Northern Cape, Kimberley bulk water supply.
2. The EFF government will repair all water treatment centres by 2026.
3. The EFF government will build a minimum of 2 new water treatment facility in each province from 2026.
4. The EFF government will employ 10,000 artisans to repair all leaks in the water infrastructure with the aim of reducing the amount of water lost by leaks to 10% of the current rate by 2025.
5. The EFF government will build storm water drains in every street in South Africa by 2028.
6. The EFF government will build water infrastructure to ensure that each household will have running water and sanitation by 2027.
7. The EFF government will ensure water sustainability for daily and industrial usage by the conversion of wastewater directly into irrigation water, process water, or cooling water for use in both domestic and industrial markets, thereby increasing current drinking water capacity by 20% by 2025.
Harbour infrastructure:
1. The EFF government will accelerate the building of the Boegoebaai harbour in the Northern Cape.
2. The EFF government will build three new harbours along the West Coast and six new harbours along the East Coast specifically designed for small-scale fishing vessels to use.
3. The EFF government will build industrial-size freezers at all harbours for use by small-scale fishermen.
4. The EFF government will increase the ship and cargo holding capacity of Cape Town Harbour, Richards Bay Harbour, East London, and Ngqurha (Port Elizabeth) by 30% by 2027.
5. The EFF government will capacitate all Harbours in the country with improved surveillance systems to curb tax evasion and illegal trade.
6. The EFF government will re-equip all harbours so that they are able to handle a variety of products, including industrial products.
7. The EFF government will increase the fuel storage capacity of all harbours by 30% by 2027.
8. The EFF government will install industrial-size x-ray machines at all harbours by 2027.
9. The EFF government will increase the railway line capacity of all major harbours by 30% by 2027.
Educational infrastructure:
1. The EFF government will ensure that all pit latrines are replaced by alternative sanitation solutions by 2026.
2. The EFF government will ensure that each school has a back-up electricity supply by 2025.
3. The EFF government will build a library, engineering, and science laboratory in all schools by 2026.
4. The EFF government will ensure that there is hot running water and in-house sanitation in every school by 2026.
5. The EFF government will pave all roads around schools by 2027.
6. The EFF government will ensure that no school is built from inappropriate material by 2024.
7. The EFF government will build two grass fields, two pitches, and a swimming pool at every school by 2026.
8. The EFF government will connect all schools to high-speed fibre by 2025.
9. The EFF government will connect all institutions of higher learning to high-speed fibre by 2025.
10. The EFF government will ensure that each institution of higher learning is connected to a railway line or has a taxi and bus terminal by 2026.
Health care infrastructure:
1. The EFF government will ensure that all health facilities have a reliable backup power supply by 2026.
2. The EFF government will ensure that each hospital has a forensic laboratory by 2028.
3. The EFF government will build a taxi and bus terminal at every hospital by 2027.
4. The EFF government will pave all roads around public health care facilities by 2028.
5. The EFF government will connect every public health care facility by 2028.
6. The EFF government will build specialized hospitals for the following disease categories: paediatric hospital, dental hospital, and Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR TB) and Tuberculosis (TB) hospital. It will also establish specialized units for the following conditions: diabetes mellitus, cerebrovascular diseases, heart disease, hypertensive diseases, chronic lower respiratory diseases, oncology, rare diseases, sexual and reproductive health, and chronic renal failure.
7. The EFF government will build specialised hospitals for the following disease categories: tuberculosis, diabetes mellitus, cerebrovascular diseases, heart disease, hypertensive diseases, chronic lower respiratory diseases, and ischemic heart diseases.
8. The EFF government will build at least one clinic per ward in all wards of South Africa and will extend this to one polyclinic per village in wards that are composed of more than one village by 2028.
Community infrastructure:
1. The EFF government will increase the number of drug rehabilitation facilities in the country by 50% by 2028.
2. The EFF government will construct community libraries, engineering, and science laboratories in each ward by 2028.
3. The EFF government will construct and maintain central abattoirs in every municipality to give access to the market on a durable and sustainable basis to producers of chicken, cattle, sheep, pig, and sheep meat products by 2028.
4. The EFF government will build a marketplace with stands in each ward by 2028.
5. The EFF will establish multi-purpose community centres, which will include free Wi-Fi, in every ward by 2028.
Energy Infrastructure:
The EFF government will ensure that there is energy stability in the country by ensuring that physical and organizational structures, facilities, and systems that generate, transmit, distribute, and consume energy are protected and well maintained as these form the backbone of a country's energy supply chain and play a crucial role in supporting economic activities, societal functions, and overall development.
1. The EFF government will immediately stop the decommissioning of any coal power station.
2. The EFF government will build transmission lines to all villages in South Africa by 2028.
3. The EFF government will invest in Grid Automation Technologies (GAT) that will enhance the efficiency, reliability, and resilience of the electricity grid by 2026.
4. The EFF government will introduce a transmission and distribution task force for monitoring and securing the grid infrastructure, inclusive of gas pipeline, powerlines, transformers, and substations in 2025.
5. The EFF government will invest on Advanced metering systems that enable real-time monitoring and management of energy consumption in all high consumption provinces 2027.
6. The EFF government will increase the building of infrastructure for renewables which includes facilities for solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, and biomass energy by 2027. This involves solar farms, wind turbines, hydroelectric dams, geothermal plants, and biomass power stations.
7. The EFF government will invest at least R4 bn by 2026 in carbon emission control technologies to reduce the impact of coal power station carbon emissions.
8. The EFF government will increase the country’s investment on protection against cyber threats to maintain the stability and security of energy system by 2026.
The EFF will ensure that there is a maintenance plan and the maintenance personnel will be insourced.
Issued by the Economic Freedom Fighters, 10 February 2024. Full PDF can be read here.
