SA cries out for an election manifesto

Submitted by Patric Tariq Mellet

All political parties, including the ANC and the new splinter party, will be challenged by the electorate to quit howling abuse at each other and to provide a clear set of policies and action plans to which they will commit. People do not want the same old story that they have been hearing since 1994. I believe that support will go to the party or parties that come closest to offering an innovative approach to six key issues and who commit to a framework of greater public accountability.

I call this the “6 x 6 x 4 Manifesto” for renewing public confidence. There are six manifesto points, and each of these would have six sub-issues. I’ll identify these six broad points here, and, for the sake of brevity, I’ll just give the six sub-points of the first manifesto point as an example.

I’ve looked at the others and perhaps we can discuss these. A new government should be able to commit to establishing a task force for each point (non-partisan) made up of the best minds in the country to project-manage these commitments over the next five years, acting as an intellectual resource and watchdog over progress, guiding interventions and trouble-shooting. This would be a really different way of doing business. After stating the six key points, I will elaborate on the four-pillared framework for greater public accountability.

1. A practical commitment to TACKLE CRIME and provide safety and security for all.

Commit to greatly increasing visible policing in neighbourhoods and cities; better equipped, mobile and trained police services, with improved telecommunications between police and between public and the police.
Improve the forensic and detective services; improve career-pathing, professional grading and remuneration of police, involving establishment of high-level police-training academies in each province and enjoying training partnerships with more developed police services around the world.
Tackle public attitudes to police, police self-esteem; deepen public accountability of the police; and establish a new volunteer neighbour constabulary to complement policing efforts.
Urgently reform the criminal justice system, most especially in terms of breaking bottlenecks in the execution of justice at courts.
Urgently reform the correctional services to break the power of criminality operating from prisons, while giving serious attention to separation of criminal types and rehabilitation strategies.
Ensure that criminals face the full impact of sentences and adopt the “three strikes then life” rule for serious crime.

2. Creating a revamped and CAPABLE PUBLIC SERVICE better organised and equipped for service delivery.

3. National improvement of infrastructure, training and human resources in the national HEALTH service.

4. A Task Force programme to right-track EDUCATION and TRAINING to meet the needs of the people and economy of South Africa.

5. An innovative national intervention plan to tackle EMPLOYMENT opportunities and a climate to promote entrepreneurship

6. A targeted approach to POVERTY ALLEVIATION and care for the most vulnerable.

The bedrock base of this type of manifesto would also require commitment to introducing a new framework that strengthens public accountability in politics. This has to involve:

Commitment to constitutional reform by consensus that will more greatly empower the electorate:

A president elected by the popular vote.

A constituency based electoral system.

A single Parliament having a National Assembly with fewer seats.

Fewer provinces with a provincial administration system focused on service delivery rather than provincial parliaments.

Stronger local government structures.

All in all a less complex, less expensive political infrastructure, that is more accountable to the electorate than patronage systems within parties, and which has greater balance between governance and service delivery.

Adoption of a broad code of organisational requirements and behaviours to govern all political parties:

Public transparency around the registration of members and branches.

Public transparency around the state of organisation of branches.

Public transparency on party finances, assets and funding sources.

The publishing of an annual report on the state of the party and the above affairs.

Transparency on all issues of electoral process in parties.

Commitment to strengthen social cohesion, a common sense of nationhood and the building of a values-driven society:

Development and commitment to a broad set of social responsibilities to complement the Bill of Rights.

Recommitment to South Africa as a home for all and the building of a common nation, undivided by race, class, gender, national group, cultural, disability, religious, sexual orientation considerations.

Commitment to set aside any practice or methodology that may foster or entrench division, regardless of its merits.

Development and active promotion of a broad set of national values rooted in the Constitution and respect for the judiciary.

Adoption of a tight code of conduct and taking of an oath of office for all political office bearers and civil servants.

Development and adoption of a code of conduct.

Establishment of sanctions and bars on holding office under circumstances of breach or criminal record.

Establishment of a national tribunal of sanction and appeal.

Commitment to handing over all criminal breaches for the law to take its course.

My belief is that if the public and political parties changed tack from howling at each other and talked about what we should be doing practically, public confidence in politics may improve and there may be greater hope for the future. I’ m waiting to see which parties come closest to offering this type of manifesto, which is broadly socially responsible, social democratic and developmental. Most tell us what they are against. Rather than what they are for. What do you think?

Patric Tariq Mellet is a longstanding activist and veteran of the liberation movement and the non-profit development sector, saddened by the divisions that have manifested in the ANC, who believes that we must move away from accusation and counter-accusation, to re-focus on service delivery and poverty eradication. To do this we need to all be more introspective and self-critical, move away from personality conflicts and defending narrow interests on different sides of the divides. Our energies should be innovation-orientated and directed at action that meets public concern. We need to work for unity amongst all progressive forces, setting aside self-indulgence and work to unite South Africans across colour, gender, class, religion, national groups, political party and other divides. (Blogsite: www.cape-slavery-heritage.iblog.co.za)