If you elect me I will …
The African National Congress: ‘Let’s help poor communities’
The ANC claims to have improved the lives of most citizens in the municipalities under its management, particularly in the area of service delivery. The party stresses that, under its leadership, there have been improvements in infrastructure, access to water, electricity, housing, education, land and work opportunities. For the next term, the ANC promises the delivery of basic services in poor communities. Vaguer promises include unspecified improvements in the way housing is allocated, better service at clinics, schools, police stations and other government centres, job-creating investment programmes and skillstraining initiatives. This year, considerable stress is being placed on the party’s ability to enforce discipline on its officials in public office.
The Democratic Alliance: ‘The DA delivers’
The DA’s official manifesto will launch on January 28.
Inkatha Freedom Party: ‘A pledge of honour, service and delivery’
The IFP makes vague promises in its manifesto, which focuses heavily on honour. It promises to prioritise development and to bring relief “to the most vulnerable sectors of society”. While it promises to promote poverty relief, to ensure the delivery of basic services and to promote job creation, it does not have a clear strategy in its manifesto. “Our idea of local government means relying on people at the bottom instead of interference from the top,” said party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi at the launch of the manifesto. “We reject a local government driven to distraction by bureaucracy. Instead, we offer a local government driven to delivery by motivation. We will hold our councillors to the highest standards. “We will act quickly and decisively should any of our councillors be found guilty of corruption. We will create an early warning system to detect malfunctioning councils.”
Freedom Front Plus: ‘More than just opposition’
The FF Plus does not merely want to play a traditional opposition role. Its campaign targets nepotism, affirmative action and a culture of non-payment for services. It promises to promote diversity as well as a dispensation that will make sustainable communities possible. It is against mega-cities and wants “to bring local government to local communities”. The FF Plus promises to strive to appoint competent and qualified officials based upon merit. Although the party believes it is important to provide free basic services to the poor, it says it is not fair to overburden those who pay for their services by expecting them to subsidise non-payers. The FF Plus expects its councillors to maintain an open-door communication policy with all ratepayers and to establish ward committees to access input from the community.
The ID: ‘Development with compassion and responsibility’
The ID manifesto situates local government as “the primary driver of development in our communities” and stresses “the right to live in safe, healthy and environmentally sound communities” with strong local economies. It promises to double the allocation of free basic water and electricity, end evictions by the “Red Ants”, and adopt a more compassionate approach to service-charge arrears. The party also promises more cash for local government to end unfunded mandates, to change cost-recovery models to account for gender equity, health and the environment, and to define more clearly the role of local and district municipalities. Local municipalities should handle basic services, the party argues, while districts should be responsible for major infrastructure and economic development.
The African Christian Democratic Party: ‘A modern society driven by Christian values’
The ACDP focuses on six priorities with strong Christian principles: housing and land; value for money; transport and roads; crime, corruption and law enforcement; water and electricity; and education. In ACDP municipalities, people waiting for housing should be employed to build their own houses. Meanwhile, housing lists should be made public to improve transparency, and a special court established to administer disputes. Under the value-for-money banner, the party says it will appoint honest staff, reverse the culture of nonpayment for services, end lavish events and prioritise basic infrastructure. It also promises integrated pre-trial services, more police and courts, a reversal of legislation “disarming
law-abiding citizens” and special youth teams to remove graffiti. Under education, it puts the focus on values, promising to restore the independence of school bodies.