Politicians share their hopes for 2019

Politicians differ on many subjects, but the ones who spoke to TimesLIVE all agree: 2018 has been a long and tumultuous year and SA deserves a better 2019.

TimesLIVE spoke to various politicians about their hopes for the new year.

ACDP

Cheryllyn Dudley of the ACDP wants to see South Africans making a "greater effort towards a shared future, despite our differences".

She acknowledged the challenges that plague the country but sees no reason why it should be impossible to "be united in the common goal of a progressive country".

UDM

With elections coming up in 2019, UDM leader Bantu Holomisa's big hope for SA is that "we do away with one-party domination". He said 2018 "has shown us that such a system is a breeding ground for corruption". He said he never expected to see "looting to the extent that we saw in the past year".

Holomisa hopes citizens will vote responsibly next year. "I hope the country will be in a position to appoint leaders and institutions that will effectively address the problems facing this country, including the problems that exist in our parliament," he said.

FF Plus

Pieter Groenewald of the FF Plus was concerned that the narrative that "white people are to blame for the country's problems" might be advanced next year.

"This is an incorrect point of view. Political parties must avoid this narrative in 2019 because it divides the country," he said.

Groenewald's wish is that the new year will be safer, more peaceful and more prosperous for all South Africans.

ANC

ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe would like to see youth unemployment numbers going down and more young people participating in the country's economy in 2019.

"By creating more jobs, we will be able to help people to care for their families, as well as their communities, which will positively influence the country's economic trajectory," said Mabe. 

IFP

The IFP's Mkhuleko Hlengwa would "love nothing more than a great political showing for the IFP at the elections in May 2019. He said the IFP looked forward to extending its reach across the country in its election campaign.

"The country needs a change of leadership and we need to eliminate corruption among those who serve the public," he said.

DA

Phumzile van Damme from the DA said she was not nervous about the upcoming elections and is instead looking forward to hitting the campaign trail.

"We spend a lot of time in parliament and I get excited ahead of any election because it gives us a chance to interact directly with the people we represent in parliament. These interactions are important because citizens engage the party directly about challenges that matter to them and ways to address those problems," she said.

Her hope is that South Africans will get leaders who hold ethics and accountability in high regard.