New DA policies make jobs our top priority 

The core policy documents that will underpin the DA's 2014 election manifesto have been finalised and are now available on the party's website. Our manifesto document will be released as part of our formal campaign launch in March. 

Taken together, our policies represent our plan to improve the lives of all the people of South Africa by creating jobs and cutting corruption. (Key policy messages are summarised below). 

These policies were formally adopted by the DA's Federal Council at our policy conference in November 2013. The conference followed a year-long process of research and consultation within DA structures and with various policy experts and stakeholders. 

The 2014 election is a compelling moment for South Africa. Voters will have the opportunity to consider the progress made during two decades of democracy in South Africa and decide on the party that they believe can deliver a better future. 

President Zuma has failed to create jobs and to stop corruption. South Africa therefore remains a country of insiders and outsiders. President Zuma is only interested in enriching himself and his friends.

The DA will stop corruption and expand job opportunities for all with this set of policies designed to rapidly move us towards an economic growth rate of 8% per annum. The choice for voters in the 2014 election is clear: five years of more of the same, or five years of growth that creates millions of jobs. 

Key policy messages:

Cutting corruption

The development and service delivery challenges in our country can only be addressed if the government uses its resources in service of the people. Our governance policy outlines our plan to limit political interference, fight corruption and promote accountability in government structures. 

Prioritising growth and jobs

Our Economic Policy aggressively targets growth through (i) direct incentives for jobs, (ii) support for small business and reducing red tape, (iii) redress measures that promote participation, (iv) reducing the cost base of the economy (v) boosting trade and (vi) investing in knowledge and ideas. 

Our Labour Policy seeks to balance the protection of the rights of workers with the need for a more flexible labour regime to make it easier for businesses to create jobs. We know that if this balance is not achieved, labour policy is protecting the employed at the expense of the unemployed. 

Supporting a growing economy

We see Information and Communications Technology (ICT) as key to bringing South Africans together, equipping them with knowledge and connecting them to opportunities. Our ICT Policy follows both (i) a market-driven approach in which we create an enabling environment for private sector provision of infrastructure, services and content and (ii) a developmental approach in which the state will play a role in facilitating access to infrastructure and services in under-served areas. 

A growing economy will need affordable energy and efficient transport infrastructure. Our policies outline how we think reliable electricity supply can be secured at affordable prices and how we can build an integrated transport system that can get people and goods to where they need to be. 

Our Natural Resources Policy charts a course to ensure that the sustainability of economic growth and the continued well-being of our society is not jeopardised through the irresponsible exploitation of the natural environment. 

Education and skills that serve the needs of the economy

We need an education and training system that not only delivers a growing number of learners and graduates, but ensures that those learners are equipped with the skills they need to succeed. Our Education Policy prioritises improved accountability in education and the quality of learning outcomes. 

Effective tools to achieve economic inclusion

Our Economic Inclusion Policy focuses on incentive-driven mechanisms that recognise the importance of race as a determinant of disadvantage whilst seeking to introduce more flexible measures to promote inclusion. 

Our Land Reform Policy confirms our commitment to the redistribution of land ownership that happens in a structured manner, in which beneficiaries receive appropriate support and successful models are duplicated. 

We want to put capital in the hands of the excluded by promoting security of tenure in communal land areas and giving the beneficiaries of state-funded housing the title deeds to their properties. 

We believe that communities can be active agents in their own developments and want to work towards flexible subsidies for publicly-funded housing roll-out. 

Our Social Protection Policy is focussed on protecting vulnerable citizens whilst supporting and empowering those that are able to actively participate in the economy. 

Keeping our communities safe by: 

Preventing crime before it occurs;

Detecting and responding to crime;

Successfully prosecuting and convicting criminals; and

Maintaining a correctional system that reduces criminality.

Active, healthy, happy communities

We want to take the lessons we have learned in the turnaround of the health system in the Western Cape to improve healthcare everywhere we govern.

We believe that the focus on effective financial management, the prioritisation of the patient experience, the increase in human resources and the focus on a broader wellness approach can reap benefits everywhere in the country where citizens trust us with their vote. 

We have developed a Sport and Recreation Policy that recognises the value of sport as a tool for development, in promoting active lifestyles, in fostering national pride, and in bringing communities together. 

Building a society that has a place for all

Our policy on Arts, Culture and Heritage acknowledges that by recognising, protecting and promoting the language, culture and heritage of all people and groups, government can (in a very tangible way) demonstrate that it cares about the citizens of South Africa. 

Please note: 

Our policy documents on Defence and Foreign Policy are currently being finalised and will be presented to our Federal Council in February. 

Statement issued by Dr Wilmot James MP, Federal Chairperson of the Democratic Alliance, January 10 2014

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