The Democratic Alliance, South Africa’s official opposition launched its 2021 Local Government Election manifesto on Saturday, September 25, 2021, via a digital stream.

In the 2016 Local Government Elections, the DA drew about eight million Ward and PR votes, awarding the party 1776 council seats nationwide. The party gained control of 24 councils – 20 of which were in the Western Cape.

DA’s 2021 Manifesto priorities:

  • Ensure there is clean water and a sanitary environment for every community: Ensure every community has access to reliable, clean, running water, that is safe to drink and to prepare food. And that there is no untreated wastewater contaminating the environment, homes, streets, and sidewalks.
  • Provide a hygienic environment to live and play: Ensure there is effective waste collection and rubbish disposal to protect the environment and the health of residents.
  • Give residents their power back: Help to free residents from Eskom load shedding and enhance access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity.
  • Create and maintain public spaces for all to enjoy: Reclaim public spaces currently taken over by lawlessness, litter, and neglect so that they may be once again places for all to enjoy.
  • Build world-class roads and public transport: Invest in safe, reliable, and affordable public transport, and well-maintained roads.
  • Be tough on crime: Invest in localised law enforcement and tackle the local conditions which give rise to crime in the first place.
  • Bring jobs and investment to the local economy: Focus first on getting the basics right, as the foundation to bringing in investment and jobs.
  • Collaborate for sustainable housing: Increase the scale of housing delivered through private initiative, diversify housing options, and ensure more people own their homes.
  • Adopt a holistic approach to keeping communities in good health: Ensure that all departments are equipped and work together to minimise the risks which lead to poor health, to respond effectively to health emergencies, and to achieve overall positive health outcomes.
  • Govern in the interests of the people: Be committed to governing in the interests of the people by eliminating corruption, adopting best practices in good governance, and ensuring the resilience of communities through effective disaster risk management.

Four Key Takeaways from DA Leader John Steenhuisen’s Manifesto Speech

  • “Ultimately our goal is to devolve much of the policing functions from national government to competent municipalities, and we will fight national government’s attempts to bring all Metro Police and municipal law enforcement into one police service.”
  • “We also recognise the enormous contribution of informal traders to local economies and we will support this crucial sector through convenient trading sites, affordable permits and by supplying the infrastructure they need to trade.”
  • “We will also continue to push national government to release suitable tracts of state-owned land in cities to help us deliver quality housing options close to work opportunities and major transport routes.”
  • “We reaffirm our commitment to stamp out corruption, eliminate wasteful expenditure, pay all suppliers within 30 days, bill all residents correctly, and appoint officials fairly.”
  • “For the first time ever, the DA has a candidate in every single ward in the country.”

Read the DA’s full 2021 Local Government Elections Manifesto: 

 

-Compiled by Amil Umraw, SABC Specialist Researcher

-Sourced from DA website