DA National Campaign Launch: Actually delivering a better life for all

Text of speech delivered by Patricia de Lille at the DA's national campaign launch in Kliptown, Soweto, March 27 2011

What a privilege it is to be here with you at this historic place on this historic day. I am proud to be a member of the DA presenting our plan for our future as a people and as a country.

South Africans, our country is at a crossroads. Two distinct philosophies have emerged after 16 years of democracy. The one that belongs to the DA seeks to build an open, opportunity society for all where the state must create opportunities for people so that they can improve their own lives.

It is a political party that seeks to build a future; it is a vision of a country that acknowledges where we come from, takes stock of what we have achieved and is convinced that our people deserve better; that we are all prepared to work together to build a new open, opportunity society for all.

The other philosophy belongs to the ANC. It believes in a closed, crony and corrupt society for a few. It says that what most South Africans have or do not have is good enough; that we will remain stuck in the past. It is a vision of South Africa where the ANC elite benefit the most.

South Africans, the struggle was never about enriching a few. There are too few people who have tasted the fruits of our new democracy. The DA will continue to protect our democracy and constitution. The DA is working hard to make South Africa more inclusive for all the people.

On May 18, people will be voting in the local government elections and we want to appeal to people to put value to your vote. We want people to use their vote as a vote for change because the ANC has failed to deliver on all the promises that it has made. The only way to change our country is by voting. The people have voted the ANC in and the only way to get them out is to vote them out.

I want to appeal to all South Africans to never give their vote to a party but to lend it to them for five years. We ask you to lend us your vote for 5 years and that you take it back if we do not deliver.

South Africans, local government is the place where service delivery does or does not happen. Local government has a mandate to deliver services to all the people. In the metros and municipalities where the DA governs, we have delivered services to all the people. Over the past 5 years, we in the DA have proved that good government builds opportunities and delivers a better life for all.

Premier Zille has already described many examples of our successes. Of course, for me, the City of Cape Town is our shining beacon of government.

Cape Town is an opportunity city for all that has delivered services to everyone, especially the poor. Those who cannot afford to pay are given electricity and water for free by the DA government. We have cleaned out corruption and inefficiency and made ourselves accountable to the voters each and every day.

It is a city that belongs to all the people.

In Johannesburg under the ANC, the city has moved from crisis to crisis. It has the fastest growing debt of any metro in the country. It has mismanaged city billing, over charging residents to the tune of tens of thousands of rands. And it has cut off water and electricity for those who could not afford to pay for the ANC's mistakes. Even driving here today, I lost count of the number of potholes.

Many of those problems are the same in the other ANC metros. In the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, some ANC councilors are not stealing anymore, they are looting the coffers.

But it doesn't need to be like this. Cape Town doesn't need to be among only a few examples of good government in South Africa. It does not need to be the exception but can become the rule for the excellent service all South Africans deserve. The aim of the DA is to replicate the success story of Cape Town in all the metros and municipalities in this country. If we are given your vote, we will be given the chance to bring other places up to the Cape Town standard.

South Africans, on May 18 the choice is yours and I urge you to choose a party that delivers for all the people. On May 18, please vote, and vote DA.

Issued by the Democratic Alliance, March 27 2011

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