Dear Editor
South Africans face a simple but stark choice: continued decay under the ANC, or growth under the DA.
With unemployment at 43,1% (using the expanded definition, which includes youth and discouraged work seekers ) and GDP growth projected at only 0,8% in the second quarter this year, urgent reform is the only way to create jobs and unlock opportunity.
Today, I visited two Gauteng municipalities that show this choice in action.
In ANC-run Emfuleni, infrastructure is collapsing. Sewage leaks flow through communities, roads are riddled with potholes, and even the local dump site lies in total disrepair. Businesses here are closing their doors or relocating, putting thousands of jobs at risk.
In stark contrast, DA-run Midvaal offers a story of hope. Here, efficient services, clean governance, and reliable infrastructure are attracting major investors like Ingrain SA and Heineken, who are expanding their operations, creating jobs and opportunity. Why? Because Midvaal gets the basics right. So much so, that Midvaal is even helping Emfuleni to clean up refuse illegally dumped at Redan, near the municipal boundary.
This good will, on the part of Midvaal, shows willingness to put Gauteng and its citizens first, over narrow politicking. However, the message is clear: a vote for the DA is a vote for hope and competence.
The DA’s plan to turbocharge growth rests on six urgent reforms:
- Functional local municipalities
- Affordable, reliable energy
- Safer communities through crime reduction and strong law enforcement
- Cutting wasteful expenditure while boosting infrastructure spend
- Saving network industries from collapse
- Ending job-killing laws and policies
Where the DA governs, the basics work, businesses thrive, and jobs grow.
The upcoming local government elections are South Africa’s chance to choose: growth, opportunity, and prosperity with the DA, or continued unemployment and decay under the ANC.
The DA is ready to build.
Regards
John Steenhuisen MP
Leader of the Democratic Alliance