Durban - The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), buoyed by the outcomes of the 2016 local government elections, is confident that it can retain its support base and take away voters from rival parties. These are the key points from the party's manifesto, launched at Chatsworth Stadium in Durban on Sunday.
On the land issue, the party remains steadfast that land expropriation should take place but on condition that there is compensation. The party wants the administration of communal land to remain in the hands of the people ‘under the custodianship of traditional leadership, with the provincial governments providing support to traditional leaders and emerging farmers and elevating them to a state of commercial farming’.
The party is focused on an inclusive economy. It wants to do this by focusing on local economic development, supporting small businesses and public/private partnerships. The party wants an unemployment register in every municipality, to match job seekers to available jobs.
Through the establishment of a Department of Youth and Job Creation, strategies can be put in place to assist both job seekers and the workforce to overcome obstacles, like lack of transport. Lowering the cost of data is seen as integral to this plan.
On education, the party wants to ensure that there is free, quality early childhood development and to reevaluate township schools that were previously closed due to non-viability or non-performance. The party also addressed the fourth industrial revolution, saying the development of high-tech classrooms of the future would be a priority so that learners could get the skills to compete for future work placement.
On crime, the party said it would reopen the debate on the reinstatement of the death penalty as a means to deter violent crime and increased minimum sentences with hard labour for criminals.
On the environment, the party said it would criminalise all forms of canned hunting or captive bred lion hunting.
On gender equality, the party wants to introduce a gender equality module as part of the school curriculum, increase financial support to Chapter Nine Institutions such as the Commission for Gender Equality and prioritise the salaries of Banyana Banyana players.