Quality education in safe communities, a capable state that acts honestly and transparently, water, lights and protection from criminals are among the DA’s vision for South Africa 14 years from now.
The party delivered its “Vision 2029” in Jabulani, Soweto on Saturday - its vision for the country 10 years after it hopes to govern, beginning at the general elections in 2019.
The party has yet to outline its policies to reach these goals, saying yesterday it would unveil these in the coming two months.
“South Africans are waking up to new possibilities… a future where our children will not be judged by their race or circumstances of their birth,” DA leader Mmusi Maimane told party supporters.
“It is a future where their potential will be determined only by the choices they make, and how hard they work to reach their goals.”
The launch of Vision 2029 follows the party’s federal congress last month when the DA launched its “values charter”, which places “freedom, fairness and opportunity” at the centre of its value proposition to prospective voters.
“Our generation has this dream and I share it even for my own children. They already have opportunities that I didn’t have,” Maimane said.
“They deserve a government that embodies the founding principles of our constitution - a government that sees our Bill of Rights as a call to action. They deserve a government that brings freedom they can use.”
The party believes that it could halve unemployment by 2029 and increase economic growth to 8 percent, building South Africa into a “hub of entrepreneurship and innovation” and a “beacon of hope for the developing world”.
A DA-government could also give citizens an increased child grant, Maimane said, with a cabinet of 15 ministries.
“I want to tell this current government there is ‘min dae’ (few days). I believe one day we will be in government and the DA is the only party that can take us to that vision,” he said.
“Just look how far we have travelled. We have grown our party from just 10 seats (in Parliament) to more than 100. In the 2014 elections we won 4 million votes - which means one in four South Africans is now voting for the DA.”
“Democrats, we have the values, we have the vision to govern this country. We can and we will govern South Africa. We have been very successful in opposition. We have proven we run good governments for all but we have to show now we provide an alternative - a better government.”
Gauteng DA leader John Moodey said the party was “serving notice” on the ANC. “Just as it was in 1976, South Africa is ready for change,” Moodey said.
“There’s no doubt that we’ll win the City of Joburg with an overwhelming majority (at next year’s local government elections). The march to the Union Buildings has begun. And the blue machine is on the move on the road to victory.
“Elections-2016 is the next critical step, an election when the DA has a real chance to win. And South Africa has a real chance to win and to succeed. It is a future of a truly successful South Africa filled with hope for all (and Vision 2029) is a glimpse of what a truly liberated South Africa will look like.”
Sunday Independent