The United Democratic Movement (UDM) leader Bantu Holomisa says unemployment remains one of the main challenges facing the country. On Saturday hundreds of party members attended the party’s Election Manifesto launch in Midrand, Johannesburg.
South Africa remains one of the world’s most unequal societies with staggering levels of joblessness. The unemployment rate currently stands at 32.1%.
Holomisa outlined the party’s plans to deal with the challenge if it is voted into power.
“We will identify markets for small firms through promoting domestic and foreign connections to adequately address both the supply and demand side of the economy and developing capacity in the areas of improved business and entrepreneurial skills, identifying loan and capital sources, as well as facilitating loans and investments in community businesses. We will also be having closer cooperation between government, business, and unions, where the role of each is clearly identified with a view to specifically create job schemes.”
Power crisis
Turning to load shedding, the UDM leader described as disgraceful the fact that rolling blackouts are accepted as part of the daily lives of citizens. He blames the governing party’s refusal or inability to invest in new power stations because of corruption related to the building of the Medupi and Kusile power stations for this governance failure.
He says his party will change this.
“Given the challenge that South Africa has lost much of its expertise, we will propose a public/private partnership model for the privatisation of Eskom where government holds a 51% stake in the entity for the people of South Africa. With the host of bilateral agreements South Africa has entered into, we will ask assistance from other countries, with strong capabilities, to give us an independent diagnosis of our power failures. The ANC has been lying to the people of South Africa about the causes of load shedding.”
Crime
Holomisa say law enforcement agencies need to take back the streets, lamenting the fact that South Africa is the murder capital of the world.
This is whilst the scourge of gender-based violence (GBV) is eating away at the fabric of society.
He says the county’s porous borders let criminal elements enter the country. Holomisa has outlined what a UDM government post 2024 will do.
“Enhance coordination between the Ministries of Justice, Police, Correctional Services, Defence and National Intelligence. Dedicate more resources, staff, training, and equipment to the law enforcement agencies to combat crime and the implementation of the existing and new GBVF legislation. Invest more resources in crime intelligence so that the police act from an informed position. Morale of law enforcement services need to be boosted by means of the revision of training, promotion policies and salary perks.”
UDM launches its elections 2024 manifesto:
