8 commitments I make to the DA

The DA's Wilmot James who's running a campaign to become the party's new federal leader.979 Picture: Matthews Baloyi 2015/04/12

The DA's Wilmot James who's running a campaign to become the party's new federal leader.979 Picture: Matthews Baloyi 2015/04/12

Published May 5, 2015

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I am standing as leader of the DA because I want to take the party in a new strategic direction, writes Wilmot James.

It is to build support and expand votes across the great diversity of our nation by focusing on issues that matter to voters, most importantly the lack of jobs, crime, poor education, inadequate health care and shelter.

I have spent the past two weeks speaking to DA delegates about my vision for the future of the party, which is rooted in eight commitments that will take us forward.

* I will be firm on issues of political principle.

Those principles are: the advancement of freedom, respect for diversity, non-racialism, a market economy and a welfare net for the poor.

We will fight for those principles every minute, every day, every week, every year, and never give up.

* We will listen more, include more, treat members with dignity and respect, even in moments of disagreement, and welcome contrary views.

We will encourage rather than stifle debate.

We will build people up, rather than break people down.

This is how you build unity in a democratic party.

* We are a party of the opposition.

We are a party of government.

We must become a party of opportunity.

We will fight the new indignity of our time, which is the indignity of not having work.

The struggle for dignity was the struggle against apartheid.

The struggle for dignity is today the struggle for work.

* We will ensure that where we govern, we govern well, but do so more inclusively in socio-economic terms, so that we can show that we don’t just talk about the dream; we actually are able to deliver the dream.

This is how we will win more municipalities, this is how we will win more provinces, and that is how we will take the Union Buildings.

* We will become an alternative to the ANC, not an alternate ANC.

We will have a policy platform that is different from the ANC’s.

We will focus on the DA’s Growth and Jobs Plan, rather than flirt with the ANC’s National Development Plan.

And we will do this so that we create opportunity for those who were shut out in the past. Instead of modifying the ANC’s BEE policies, we will develop our own in support of genuine broad-based empowerment.

* To compete with the ANC we need considerable money. Elections are becoming extremely expensive.

With my extensive network, I am able to connect with funders with whom I have built up trust over the years and, with a credible plan for the DA’s growth, can secure unprecedented financial flows into the party.

* We have an excellent operation in our party machine affectionately dubbed the “Blue Machine”.

But it is not perfect.

We will massively invest in the “ground war” at constituency level.

We will stop the obsession with “box ticking” by reviewing the performance management (PDMS) and the tithing system, so that public representatives, especially councillors, are not out of pocket.

* We will modernise the party.

We will restore internal democracy and make sure decisions are taken by constitutional structures.

The time of having one overwhelming leader is over.

We will review and modernise the leadership architecture so that there is coherence and genuine opportunity for leaders with talent, ability and commitment to rise on merit to the top.

We will hugely invest in training all our young leaders.

The point of winning votes and governing is to better serve South Africans, especially those in need and excluded from the mainstream of economic life by apartheid and subsequent exclusionary practices in the economy that created a world of insiders – those with a job and home – and outsiders – those with neither a job nor a home.

The ANC of today has lost its bigger political purpose.

Its only purpose today is to hang on to power.

All it has left to offer is the race card and history.

But for the DA to replace the ANC at the ballot box requires a sharp differentiation in our offers.

I have the ability, the courage and ideas to provide the clarity of choice for all South African voters.

I am ready to lead.

* Wilmot James is the federal chairman of the DA. James is also the Shadow Minister of Trade & Industry.

** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.

Pretoria News

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