By Doreen Mokgolo
The DA has positioned itself as the party that will be taking over the national government in the upcoming elections.
They are pinning their hopes on winning the election through the Multi-Party Charter for South Africa, a group of 11 political parties that includes the DA, IFP, FF+, ActionSA, Isanco and UIM.
On Tuesday, DA leader John Steenhuisen outlined to party leaders and the business community its “Blueprint to Rescue SA” in its first 100 days in national government.
Steenhuisen said top of their agenda would be the introduction of legislation that outlaws the system of cadre deployment which allows for the employment in government of supporters of a governing political party.
“The year of 2024 will be a transition to rescue the country from corruption and state collapse. We will expand on our End of Cadre Deployment Bill,” he said.
“The bill will make it a criminal offence for any politician to interfere in the appointment process, remove powers of appointment and promotion and dismiss those implicated.”
In their bid to fight corruption in government, the party will also introduce Scorpions 2.0 through a constitutional amendment.
The Scorpions was a specialised crime-fighting unit under the National Prosecuting Authority. Its job was to investigate organised crime and corruption and arrest perpetrators.
It was disbanded by Jacob Zuma in the early days of his presidency in January 2009.
Its replacement, the Hawks, a directorate within SAPS, has been criticised as ineffective.
The proposed bill “will create an independent anti-crime and anti-corruption institution in Chapter 9 of the Constitution,” Steenhuisen said.
“We must learn the lesson from the demise of the original Scorpions by making it impossible for Parliament to abolish this entity without a two-thirds majority.”
The DA chief whip in Parliament, Siviwe Gwarube, said it was about time the ANC was voted out of government as it was anti-transparency and anti-accountability.
“It is also important to focus on fixing the institution of Parliament itself to turn it into the engine room of reform.
He said Parliament has lost its teeth and has become more of a lap-dog government.
“We have presiding officers who view themselves as an extension of the executive as opposed to being heads of the legislative arms in the last 10 years,” Gwarube said.
“They view their jobs as a way to protect their party.”
The election date is yet to be announced.
Pictured above: DA leader John Steenhuisen.
Image source: Doreen Mokgolo
