Oudtshoorn - South Africa will only move forward in peace when there is "just one South Africa in which opportunities are extended to all", Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane said on Saturday.
Speaking at a DA voter registration rally in Oudtshoorn in the Western Cape, he said the DA was on a mission to build one South Africa for all.
"What do I mean by that? I mean that right now, there are two South Africas. One for those with jobs and connections and access to great schools. And another for those who are locked out of the economy and have no chance of accessing the opportunities to get ahead in life. A South Africa of 'haves' and a South Africa of 'have-nots'... our beautiful country will never move forward in peace until we have just one South Africa in which opportunities are extended to all," Maimane said.
"Most importantly, we need a job in every home across the country. Just think what a difference it would make to millions of households if they have the dignity and security of an independent income. The DA has a plan to put a job in every home in South Africa and we know we can do it. You know why? Because the DA gets stuff done. Most important of all, we get jobs created. Say what you want about the DA, but the fact is where the DA governs, jobs get created."
More than half the jobs created in South Africa in the past year were created in the DA-run Western Cape. Even though only one-eighth of South Africa's population lived in this province.
"That’s 95 000 jobs created here out of the 188 000 that were created in South Africa. And we’ve achieved this despite a crippling drought and despite a hostile national regulatory environment. I’m not saying the DA created those jobs. Not at all. Those jobs were created by entrepreneurs and investors and business people and traders.
Picture: @Our_DA/Twitter
"But I am saying that the DA government here in the Western Cape created the conditions that made it attractive for people to invest. In the Western Cape, we’ve created an environment that gives people confidence to invest. We’ve done that by getting stuff done. By getting old roads fixed and new roads built. By providing the best health care of any province in the country.
"By keeping more kids in school than any province in the country, and by delivering the best quality education to those kids than any province in the country. And the best after school programme. We’ve done it by rolling out broadband more extensively to more schools and libraries and other places than any province in the country," Maimane said.
The Western Cape led on every single metric of good governance, except crime, and that was because the national government was 100 percent responsible for the South African Police Service (SAPS). "They control the entire SAPS budget, so our hands are tied there," he said.
"More than half the jobs created in SA in the past year were created in DA-run Western Cape Province." - @MmusiMaimane #RegisterToVoteDA pic.twitter.com/0stQywkYSC
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) January 19, 2019
"Under a DA-government, anyone found guilty of corruption will be sentenced to 15 years in jail." - @MmusiMaimane #RegisterToVoteDA pic.twitter.com/mW6tcwENlC
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) January 19, 2019
Register to put a job in every home!
Register to bring change that builds #OneSAForAll"- @MmusiMaimane https://t.co/r4v4F5PBHt pic.twitter.com/QmK4aozruz
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) January 19, 2019
"This province leads because the DA government here spends public money on the public rather than wasting it or stealing it. The DA-run Western Cape government has the cleanest audit outcomes by a country mile. Last year, our government departments achieved 83 percent clean audits. We came miles ahead of second-placed Gauteng who only got 52 percent clean audits.
"We spend public money to get stuff done. That’s why the Western Cape’s expanded unemployment rate is a full 13 percentage points lower than the national average - 23.7 percent vs 37.3 percent. This proves beyond doubt that the DA’s approach to job creation works," Maimane said.