RATE IT | From 'doomsday' to load-shedding and unemployment: 4 pledges made by re-elected John Steenhuisen

John Steenhuisen has been re-elected DA leader for another three years, making pledges as he leads the party to the general elections.

Steenhuisen saw off a challenge from former Joburg mayor Mpho Phalatse at the party's electoral congress over the weekend, and told delegates he had revived the party after many had written it off.

“Everywhere, people were writing the DA off. They were speculating about who would replace us as official opposition — and how soon — and what the country’s coalition prospects would look like once we’d faded away,” he said.

Taking to the stage after his re-election was announced, Steenhuisen outlined the way forward for the party and its stand on several key issues. Here are four pledges he made to delegates: 

STOPPING A 'DOOMSDAY FOR SA'

Steenhuisen said a coalition between the ANC and EFF would be a disaster for South Africa, and said the DA would do everything in its power to stop them leading together in 2024.

“I want to be unequivocal about the DA’s view on this: the day that an ANC-EFF government takes over, it will be doomsday for South Africa,” he said.

“EFF doomsday will make the collapse of Zimbabwe look like a dress rehearsal, and will leave all South Africans destitute — black, coloured, white and Indian.

“That is why, during the remaining months before next year’s election, the DA will make it our number one priority — and do absolutely everything in our power — to prevent an ANC-EFF doomsday coalition from taking power.

“Today, I publicly declare Julius Malema’s EFF to be political enemy No 1 of the Democratic Alliance. And I commit the DA to fight back against the EFF at every turn, with the ultimate aim of defeating the doomsday coalition that could seal South Africa’s fate next year.”

A 'MOONSHOT' WITH THE HELP OF OTHERS 

Steenhuisen said the DA was taking a giant leap forward to ensure the “DA leads national government in 2024”, and that meant uniting opposition parties.

“In my capacity as leader, not only of the DA but of the opposition alternative in this country, our party will immediately initiate a process to form a pre-election 'moonshot pact' with like-minded political parties, civil society organisations and civic movements to defeat the ANC, to keep the EFF out and to inaugurate a new national opposition coalition government.

“This invitation is broad and generously open to the leaders of all civil society bodies and opposition parties that are, as a matter of principle, opposed to the ANC and the EFF. But it excludes all parties and organisations who’ve tethered themselves to the ANC.”

He said parties would agree on rules of engagement that will allow them to keep their own identities while putting an end to the petty squabbles and divisions.

ENDING LOAD-SHEDDING, REDUCING CRIME AND UNEMPLOYMENT

Steenhuisen said with the support of other opposition parties, the DA would form a government that will:

• end load-shedding;
• bring unemployment below 20%;
• halve violent crime;
• defeat cadre deployment to build a capable state and improve education and healthcare; and
• devolve more powers over electricity generation, public transport and policing to capable provincial and local governments.

“This vision is the first prize, for the DA and our struggling country,” he added.

TURNING AROUND TSHWANE IN A YEAR

Steenhuisen congratulated newly elected Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink and said he was convinced the multiparty coalition in the metro would turn things around.

“I am convinced that, within the next year, this multiparty coalition will begin to turn around Tshwane so that voters will have a powerful case study showing that DA-led coalitions can work.”

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