Johannesburg - The ANC is hopping mad at the DA for allegedly repackaging the ruling party’s policies and presenting them as its ideas during its election manifesto launch in Joburg at the weekend.
In its municipal elections manifesto, which DA leader Mmusi Maimane presented to thousands of party supporters at the Rand Stadium on Saturday, the official opposition promises to create a comprehensive Expanded Public Works Programme to benefit all recipients. The ANC-run government launched the programme in 2014 in a bid to arrest the high unemployment rate.
The DA also promised to implement truly broad-based black economic empowerment to benefit the poor majority, “and not just a connected elite”.
The economic empowerment policy was initiated by the government in response to criticism laid at the initial black economic empowerment strategy. And if the DA won the August local government elections overwhelmingly, systems would be set up to attract the “next generation of municipal officials” through graduate recruitment programmes.
The Department of Labour has a portal where people can register as job-seekers and have their details stored in a database where prospective employers can find them.
On Sunday, the ANC dismissed the DA manifesto as a carbon copy of the ruling party's plans, with its spokespersons saying the DA had run out of ideas.
ANC spokesperson Khusela Sangoni said: “The DA is a party that is devoid of ideas. They don’t have new ideas to offer the electorate. We have noted that they have nothing to say except to speak about the ANC. The black majority will not be fooled into thinking the DA is an alternative.”
Sangoni’s views were echoed by her colleague, Zizi Kodwa, who said the DA was trying to be another ANC. “They are finding it difficult to pronounce new ideas. They are repackaging themselves as another ANC.
“They are a liberal party that protects white privilege. Instead of talking about transformation, they are talking about change, and these are two totally different things,” said Kodwa.
He also accused the DA of not pronouncing itself outside the ANC because “they want the black vote and they are trying too hard to be the ANC.”
But the DA was not deterred. National spokesperson Phumzile van Damme said the ANC was running scared.
“They know we are hot on their heels and that we have a good manifesto.”
Political analyst Dr Soma-doda Fikeni said that over the years, political parties' identification of social, economic and political problems looked similar.
“Consequently, solutions begin to look the same, especially with the local government elections. It then becomes a question of credibility. People began to say who is the most credible to fight corruption and crime,” he said.