The 2024 National Elections are just around the corner, and the manifestos are getting… strange. For instance, ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba says that under his government, there will be no retirement age. Speaking to attendees at the BizNews Conference, Mashaba said that people of retirement age should work until the day they die.
Let’s take a look at recently launched manifestos with questionable policies.
- ActionSA
ActionSA launched its manifesto at the Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg on Saturday, promising a tougher stance on border control. “We will improve the surveillance
and management of our country’s borders by deploying the Border Management Authority (BMA) to reduce crime and harmful illegal trade in South Africa. ActionSA will enhance collaboration efforts between the SAPS, SANDF, and the BMA to ensure our borders are monitored effectively,” the manifesto states.
The Bizarre:
Mashaba has said there would be no retirement age under his government and that schooldays should start with prayer. “I cannot see, and I don’t want to live in a society where people retire. Why must people retire? So that you can go and die? As ActionSA, we are saying people must not retire; retire when you die,” said Mashaba.
And this isn’t the first time he has said this. In a tweet from February, he said that he had no plans to retire and would work until he died to create a more prosperous South Africa. 👀
You can read ActionSA’s manifesto here.
- African Transformation Movement
On Sunday, the African Transformation Movement (ATM) launched its manifesto at the Jabulani Amphitheatre in Soweto. The party promises to regulate the arts in South Africa to remove the exploitation of actors, musicians and others in the sector. It also advocates for land expropriation without compensation.
The Bizarre:
While the ATM has always been vocal in its support of the death penalty, its president, Vuyo Zungula, used strong rhetoric in condemning crime. “We are going to empower the police to say, ‘If your life is under threat by a criminal, do not shoot the legs or send a warning trigger cima lonto [kill that thing]’.
“Criminals deserve no mercy. We cannot want to be politically correct on people who are terrorising us; we cannot be thinking about human rights for criminals, a person who does not respect the human rights of others, but we must think about their own human rights,” he said. Anybody getting Bheki Cele vibes?
- uMkhonto Wesizwe Party (MK Party)
Former President Jacob Zuma’s MK Party has been making strides in KwaZulu-Natal and is unseating the African National Congress (ANC) and Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) in some districts. Its manifesto focuses on transformative change in South Africa. The party aims to extend the electricity grid, align education with market needs, enhance national security, accelerate land redistribution, improve healthcare access, create jobs, empower traditional leaders, and promote regional stability through assertive foreign policy.
The Bizarre:
MK Party leaders have been saying quite inflammatory and dangerous things. One party member at a January MK Party rally threatened to “Shut South Africa down for good” should Zuma and the MK Party not achieve a two-thirds majority. “If the election doesn’t give uMkhonto we Sizwe a two-thirds majority, we are going to close South Africa for good,” he said.
Then, member Visvin Reddy threatened that no one would be allowed to vote if the party didn’t appear on the ballot papers.
Another member, Fees Must Fall Activist and 2021 July Unrest accused Bonginkosi Khanyile, has threatened to shut down elections if Zuma isn’t allowed to run.
Zuma himself has made some pretty shocking statements. In recent times, he has been targeting the LGBTIQ+ community. In a campaign speech, he described same-sex relationships as a disgrace, sparking outrage.
According to Times Live, Zuma made these comments while addressing supporters of his uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party in Maqongqo, outside Pietermaritzburg, in February.
Zuma criticised Parliament for passing laws that he claims people never agreed to, insisting that South Africans should follow African law, not Dutch law.
Questioning the legality of same-sex relationships, Zuma asked, “Where does the law that a man can be in a romantic relationship with another man come from? What will women be left with?” He called it a disgrace.
He also has bizarrely called for teen parents to be sent to Robben Island.
So, as we approach the election, expect more wacky and outrageous manifesto promises from political parties. After all, it’s not called Silly Season for nothing.
