Newcastle : 14th June 2008
 

The IFP is engaged in a listening programme in which we listen to what you - the women and men and youth of SA - have to say about the state of our country today. We are listening to you because clearly no one else is. We are listening because you, more than anyone else, knows what is going wrong in your lives and just as importantly, you may have concrete ideas on what needs to be done to improve on what is happening now. We welcome your ideas. That's why we're here today. So, let's fix it together.

In our draft policy booklet, we identify what we believe are the top ten areas of concern facing most South Africans. I don't want to go into detail, but allow me to highlight a few matters.

We are very concerned, first of all, with the extremely high level of unemployment in South Africa. Far too many of our people are without jobs.

There are other developing countries that grow their economies at 9% or more every year, but we barely manage half of that. We must do far more to promote growth. Some examples: we need to dramatically increase our skills base; we need to make it easier for small businesses especially, to create jobs; we need to make it easier for business to borrow capital.

Poverty is the second challenge we identify. Too many of our people are trapped in poverty, and we are worried that poverty appears as bad now as it was in the past. What can be done? In our view, we must look at short-term and long-term solutions. In the short term, government must do more to improve the basic living conditions of the poor. But in the longer term, the solution lies in better education; in resuscitating rural agriculture; and in promoting self-help and self-reliance.

Third, if there is one crisis facing our land that is on everyone's lips, it is the crisis in law and order. Government's prime duty is to protect its citizens, but it is failing to do so. Criminal run amok, the courts can't cope and prisons breed more criminals. There is just too much that needs to be done here to rescue the situation in the judiciary, in the police and in our prisons. Many people feel very passionate about what needs to be done, and we are sure you feel exactly the same way.

In respect of education, our fourth issue, we are facing a system in a state of collapse. If you take a look at the quality of many of our teachers, at the management of the system, at discipline, at the infrastructure, at the curriculum and at the outputs of the system, education is in a sorry state. Really, our children need highly qualified and highly motivated teachers. We need more teacher training colleges. We need more free education and more affordable tertiary education. We must instill discipline. Are these things really impossible to do?

If anything defines the failure of the present government since 1994, it must be the manner in which HIV-aids has been dealt with. This, our fifth concern, has been and remains, a national tragedy, a national shame, and to so many of us, a tale of suffering and woe. Is health care in SA of a good quality; is it affordable; is it accessible? The answers are no, no and no.

Again, there is so much to be done to remedy the situation.

One of the reasons the government has failed so badly is that the ruling party is so dominant that it has not had to be accountable for its failures.

This is our sixth issue. We say that SA is in danger of becoming all but a one-party state. We say this knowing full well we are legally free, and that multi-partyism is protected in our constitution. But the reality is also, that there is a threat to democracy in SA when one party is so dominant. There are threats to press freedom; there is the abuse of state power and patronage; there is a conflation between party and state; there is a growing arrogance of power and abuse of authority. It is essential that this be stopped, but to do so, the electorate must acknowledge what is happening and must respond appropriately.

Our seventh point is that most of the people of South Africa remain very aware of the wrongs of the past, but if you look at living standards, at health, education, access to economic opportunity and the like, not enough has yet been done to put right the consequences of the past. We believe more must be done to redress the past.

Since the attainment of freedom and democracy in 1994, South Africa has reclaimed its position in the community of nations. However, in its foreign policy in particular, this government has adopted certain positions that impact negatively on all South Africans. Why we behave as we do in respect of Zimbabwe, Dafur, Swaziland and other countries is often a mystery, but we know that all is not as it should be.

Number nine for us is the crucial matter of land reform. It is an important programme of redress, but the manner in which it is being conducted in SA today is very worrying, and is negatively affecting agriculture; stakeholder sentiment; and the people's rights. We need to take a hard look at present policy and practices and drive a fresh process which unites rather than divides us.

And finally, as number 10, few issues infuriate South Africans as much as does the moral state of the nation. We are at a moral crossroads - meaning we need to change direction right now by taking urgent heed of what the ordinary man and woman believes is right and is wrong. Everywhere we look, we find behavior at odds with our concept of right and wrong, but government continues blindly to insist on foisting things on us we find unacceptable.

It is time government listened to us.

Colleagues, friends, you have heard what we have to say. It is now time for us to listen. Let me conclude by saying that the IFP will take what we hear to the highest institutions of our country - to Parliament and to the legislatures in the provinces - so that they are able to act to bring about the changes you require. It is your right to be heard. So, let's fix it.

For more information:
Rev Musa Zondi, 083 440 5966