This weekend, South Africans were spoiled for choice as three political parties released their 2024 election manifestos. The Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus), The Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC), and The United Democratic Movement (UDM) released their manifestos over the weekend. Each party detailed how it plans to deal with the failures of the African National Congress (ANC)-led government.
FF Plus wants BEE scrapped
The FF Plus, at the launch of their manifesto in the Heartfelt Arena in Centurion, Pretoria, on Saturday, said that the time to rebuild South Africa from the ruin of the ANC government was now. “The FF Plus’s 2024 Manifesto offers a realistic plan and a message of hope for the future. The journey will start at the polls on 29 May this year. The main message is that it is possible to restore and rebuild South Africa,” they said.
The party blames Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) for everything that has gone wrong in the country, calling it “an ideal breeding ground for everything that went wrong.” 👀
The manifesto entails seven critical priorities for the party, namely:
• multi-party governments that keep the ANC out of power and restore the current decay;
• a free-market system to rebuild the economy;
• a small, central government playing a lesser role in citizens’ lives;
• restoring local government;
• independent communities as building blocks;
• promoting communities’ constitutional right to self-determination as the cement;
• and abolishing legislation that discriminates based on skin colour.
They mentioned that they would oppose the NHI, even if the matter ends up in the Constitutional Court.
To their credit, the party has revealed that their manifesto is available to read in all official languages and even Braille.
You can read the manifesto here.
The PAC wants to decolonise the judicial system
The PAC launched their manifesto at the Orlando Community Hall, where the organisation was founded 65 years ago. They’re running on a ticket of decolonisation. Speaking to the SABC, PAC president Mzwanele Nyhontso says his party will decolonise the judicial system and make it relevant and applicable to the African conditions. “The legal and judicial system must reflect African culture, moral values, patterns of behaviour, and punishment methods. The current system must be decolonised,” he said.
The UDM is running on an anti-corruption ticket
The UDM also launched their manifesto over the weekend in Midrand. They’re focusing on a strong anti-corruption stance. “To ensure clean governance, a UDM government will implement, amongst others:
• Zero-tolerance for corruption and abuse of power.
• Effective procedures and special courts to be established to investigate and prosecute those in the public and private sector involved in corruption.
• Independent anti-corruption task teams to be established in each province to determine the level of corruption and to introduce recovery steps immediately,” said UDM president Bantu Holomisa.
The party blasted the ANC on its failures to stamp out corruption and to protect citizens. “South Africa today is the murder capital of the world and gender-based violence is a scourge eating at the fabric of our society. What does this say about a government that cannot keep its citizens safe?”
You can read their manifesto here.
Things are heating up in the lead-up to the elections. Do any of these parties pique your interest?
