The DA’s campaign so far has mostly focused on the negative aspects of the ANC’s governance.

It’s a strategy that hasn’t been very well received.

Now they’re moving on to promises and plans, or rather what we can expect if they’re elected as the ruling party following the upcoming elections.

All three of the major parties have outlined their stance on land reform, job creation and dealing with corruption.

Let’s take a look at what DA party leader Mmusi Maimane had to say about their plans should they swing the popular vote:

Dumelang. We are here at the Union Buildings to outline our 10 interventions that a @Our_DA led National Government will get done in the first 100 Days in Office.

South Africa needs change, and we have an agenda that is implementable from day one in office. #DA100DaysInoffice pic.twitter.com/ltRJBf0N1J

— Mmusi Maimane (@MmusiMaimane) March 4, 2019

According to The Citizen, the DA has promised to do 10 major things within the first 100 days:

• Table the Jobs Act, Fiscal Responsibility Bill and ISMO Bill;
• Immediately place SAA under business rescue;
• Begin the rollout of a Voluntary Civil Service Year;
• Introduce specialist Teacher Training Colleges and a National Education
• Inspectorate to ensure that teaching and other standards are met;
• Increase the child grant to the food poverty line of R547 per month;
• Begin to implement a 6-point Small Business Development Plan;
• Cut Cabinet to 15 Ministries;
• Initiate key interventions to professionalise the police force, including the provincial control of police;
• Deploy SANDF troops to our borders; and
• Decentralise control of ports, harbours and Metrorail services and their budgets to metro councils.

You can read Maimane’s more detailed description of each of these 10 points here.

Maimane says that the DA is “open to working alongside – and forming governments with – all political parties across the country who share common values of a market-based economy that creates jobs”.

He also promotes values such as a ” lean and capable state that delivers services for all, zero tolerance for corruption, and the upholding of the Constitution that guarantees its people their rights, including the right to own property”.

Making promises is a lot easier when you know you’re not actually going to win, and can, therefore, say whatever you want without fear of actually having to deliver.

In summary, he had the following to say:

During the first 100 days in National Government, the DA will reform legislation, mitigate fiscal risks, launch a voluntary civil service, upskill teachers, increase the child grant, create an enabling environment for small businesses to thrive, debloat the size of Cabinet, professionalise the police, deploy troops to secure our borders and integrate our transport system to create fair access to jobs.

Only the DA can manage the real problems South Africa faces. The DA’s governance track record speaks for itself. Where we govern, we govern well, get stuff done and have a solid agenda with workable solutions.

People have been calling for the DA to focus on the positives, and it looks like they listened.

At the same time, if history has taught us anything, it’s that the promises made during an election year are usually more like guidelines.

[source:citizen]