After 100 days, the DA announces its top priorities for the GNU medium-term plan
11 October 2024
After 100 days in office, the DA has identified 5 key priorities for the GNU’s medium-term plan, to be announced on 30 October.
Every single one of the DA’s priorities is focused on growing the economy and creating jobs.
There are of course many other policy reforms the DA is pursuing in the GNU, but the five identified today are among the most critical for growth and jobs.
The DA has also identified 4 things we simply will not support in the GNU under any circumstances.
The 5 top priorities are:
1. A clear commitment to reducing government dept-to-GDP to under 70% by the end of the 7th administration that included a comprehensive spending review in which every programme of government is assessed for impact and those that fail to achieve measurable positive outcomes are cut. This is essential in order to fund priority commitments such as infrastructure, education, health and security.
2. Driving significant investment, growth and job creation by including the following in phase 2 of Operation Vulindlela:
• The creation of a competitive energy generation market.
• Significant investment into energy transmission infrastructure.
• The immediate concessioning of ports in Cape Town and Richard’s Bay, and opening more terminals in Durban’s port.
• Opening access to freight rail and concessioning the management of the rail network to competent managers.
• Creating a secondary market for broadband.
3. Digitising Home Affairs and reforming South Africa’s immigration system to attract remote workers, skilled workers and more tourists.
4. Dramatically expanding access to cheap, reliable broadband to the poorest South Africans in the poorest places, and making smart phones cheaper so people can take advantage of the increase in available bandwidth.
5. Refocusing Infrastructure South Africa to become a single point of entry for government-led infrastructure projectsin order to scale up priviate sector investment that contributes to growth and job creation.
In addition to these critical priorities, there are also 4 specific things the DA will not agree to under any circumstances:
1. Further bail-outs for state-owned enterprises. South Africa has spent over R350 billion in bailouts for SOEs over the past 10 years, and this is one of the key reasons there is now a fiscal crisis. Money that should be available for teachers and nurses is now gone. It has to stop.
2. The implementation of clauses 4 and 5 of BELA, which needless opens the door to depriving children of mother-tongue education in single medium schools.
3. The implementation of the National Health insurance Scheme, which will bankrupt South Africa without improving healthcare or health outcomes.
4. The attempt by the EFF to win support for a private member’s bill to change the ownership structure of the Reserve Bank, which would decimate confidence in the future of our economy. The DA will use our position in parliament to block any change to the ownership structure of the Reserve Bank.
After 100 days, the GNU is on the cusp of making its most important strategic choices. The DA is determined to ensure that every choice that is made will drive growth up and unemployment down, and bring new hope for a better life to South Africans.
That is the reason we entered the GNU 100 days ago, and it remains our purpose today.
Issued by John Steenhuisen, Leader of the Democratic Alliance, 11 October 2024
