South Africa

Next in our "Q&A with the Parties" series is the Independent Democrats (ID). For this interview we were fortunate enough to have Mr Simon Grindrod in the hotseat (Mr Grindrod is mayoral candidate for the ID in the Cape Town Metro). So without further ado :

 

                                   

Q : Is the ID feeling confident in the run-up to the Local Government  elections? Why?

The Independent Democrats are very confident.  This is the first time that the party is campaigning in local elections and it is evident that people are happy to have a third choice.

 

Q : What does the ID believe is the greatest challenge facing South Africans at the local level? Further, if given a mandate by voters at the local level, what area of service delivery is the party most concerned with?

The greatest challenge is ensuring the correct skills are utilised to deliver the priority of housing, which is at the base of dignity and our top priority.

 

Q : The ID as an opposition party is competing against a variety of other smaller opposition parties. How does the ID differentiate itself from these other parties and what makes it better able to govern?

The big difference between us and the others is that the Independent Democrats have a very strong belief in team work and consensus to achieve the objective we have for the people.  Opposition for its own sake has paralysed service delivery.

 

Q : In Cape Town the ID is running a relatively unknown candidate, why did the party to follow this route and what special skills does this candidate possess?

This candidate possesses management skills and human resources skills.  He has experience in planning and strategy.  The ID believes that we need more management in the city of Cape Town and less politicians.

 

Q : What is the ID’s position on the highly criticized Municipal Managers salaries? Would the ID support efforts to cap or limit these types of salaries? What other actions does the party believe are appropriate for this problem?

The ID has no objection to paying people for results.  We do not believe bonuses should be paid unless they are directly liked to increasing efficiencies, performance and savings.  The issue of bonuses is not applicable to city employees in terms of their Christmas bonuses.

 

Q : The ID remains a very small party with limited influence in the political arena. How do the leaders of the party believe they can turn this position around?

We believe that our message of consensus based politics and positive vision will eventually replace the outdated tactics and message of confrontation espoused by the ANC and DA.

 

Q : If faced with a close election result in any election, would the ID be prepared to accept a partnership with any other party? If so, who does the ID feel closest to ideologically at the local level?

The ID does not believe in coalitions but will work with any or all parties who bring forward constructive initiatives to benefit our people.

 

Q : The ID was decimated during the last floor crossing period. There is also a nasty rumor doing the rounds (emanating from the DA) that come the next floor crossing period there will be a repeat of the last debacle for the ID. What measures has the ID put in place to ensure that there is no repeat of this and that voters will be assured that the candidates they give a mandate to, will actually carry them out.

All parties suffered from the phenomenon of floor crossing.  We believe that our candidates are more than ever committed to our ideals and that their pride in our achievements will negate any temptation to cross the floor for personal benefit. All ID candidates have signed a code of conduct and an oath to serve the people they represent faithfully.

 

Q : Is there any specific candidate or ward that the ID feels particularly proud of? Who or which and why?

We are proud of all of our candidates in each and every one of the 105 wards we are contesting in the metro.

 

Q : Finally, is there anything else the party would like to say to the people of SA before the elections?

We would ask all voters to consider the consequences of another 5 years of division and polarisation under the ANC and DA.  Voters now have an opportunity to unlock the potential of our city and break the deadlock.  Both other parties have failed.  We ask voters to give us a chance.

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Well there you have it! I would like to thank Mr Grindrod for taking time off his schedule to answer our questions and wish him and his party all the best for the elections.

 

It's just before the Local Government elections and I thought I'd ask a few questions to the major Parties on a couple of issues I thought were relevent to SA voters. Over the next two weeks I hope to publish the views of the various party representatives and hopefully provide (a bit) of insight into what they are thinking and how they plan to tackle problems at local level. So without further ado and in no particular order (I will publish responses in the order I receive them) here is my Q&A session with Joe Seremane, Chairman of the DA :

                                       

Q : Is the DA feeling confident in the run-up to the Local Government elections? Why?

A : Yes, because, historically, the DA has performed well in local government elections. Nationally, in the municipal elections that took place in 2000, the DA received 20.4% of the vote. Also, there is massive discontentment at a grassroots level with the way in which the ANC has plunged local government into crisis over the past five years. There have been thousands of protests against the ANC’s service delivery failures nationwide. The electorate has seen for itself that the ANC is corrupt, that it can not deliver and that all it can offer is more promises which will be broken.

 

Q : What does the DA believe is the greatest challenge facing South Africans at the local level? Further, if given a mandate by voters at the local level, what area of service delivery is the party most concerned with?

A : The greatest challenge is the lack of capacity. For example, a recent government survey found that 4 out of 231 local municipalities have no civil engineers, technologists or technicians, 45 have only one civil technician, and 186 local municipalities have no civil engineers whatsoever. According to the government’s own statistics, as many as thirty-six percent of managers have a matric with a diploma or less and one municipal manager does not even have a matric qualification. Thirty-seven percent of municipal managers have less than five years experience in local government, while 74% have eleven or less years experience in local government. The lack of skills is a key factor behind service delivery backlogs. The result on the ground is that 5 million South Africans still have no access to any basic sanitation and nearly 1 million people face the indignity of the bucket system. Free basic electricity is still a pipe dream for many in ANC municipalities and 3.7 million people still have no access to running water.

In terms of our manifesto, the DA will:

· Ensure that all officials in DA-led municipalities are accessible and responsive to queries or complaints. 
· Ensure that the municipality employs competent municipal staff to install new services, maintain these services and to deal with customer queries, complaints and payments for basic services. 
· Maintain a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) against which delivery and service on a particular new delivery project can be measured.  KPIs also help to keep the officials and politicians of a municipality accountable for what they said they would deliver.   
· Provide quarterly updates on the progress of major new installations and publish these in very visible places and publications. 
· Continuously monitor any projects undertaken through outsourcing or privatisation using enforceable service level agreements. 
· Provide a channel of communication between residents and the service provider so that residents know what is happening and what is being achieved.  

 

Q : The DA as an opposition party is competing against a variety of other smaller opposition parties. How does the DA differentiate itself from these other parties and what makes it better able to govern?

A : The DA is the only viable alternative to the ANC. It has prior experience in government, with a good track record of service delivery, and the sheer weight of numbers – in terms of electoral support – compared with other opposition parties. Whereas the DA is a party for all the people, the Freedom Front Plus represents a conservative niche market. Whereas the DA believes that Afrikaners deserve an equal place in South African society, the FF+ would prefer to isolate Afrikaners from the political mainstream. Whereas the DA believes in the freedom of religion, the ACDP believes that South Africa should be governed solely according to the principles of the Bible. Whereas the DA is a large and vocal opposition party, the Independent Democrats [ID] represents a mere 1.7% of the electorate.  The ID has shown that it prefers to attack other opposition parties than hold government to account.

 

Q : Analysts are predicting a very close contest in the Cape Town mayoral race. If the DA is victorious how would it go about managing the city of Cape Town differently from the ANC?

A : Our manifesto for Cape Town is a blueprint for building a city that is clean, safe, efficient, growing and sustainable. We want to turn Cape Town’s municipal government into a “delivery machine” that serves all people equally and efficiently and puts the ratepayers’ money to proper use. We will implement a realistic long-term housing plan that provides for a wide range of housing needs, and provide a legitimate waiting list that does not discriminate on the basis of race or political affiliation and is published for all to see. We will provide city jobs and tenders on the basis of best price and ability to perform, in order to provide the best possible services to the maximum number of people. We will conduct a comprehensive forensic audit on tender awards upon taking power, and we will take a hard line against corrupt politicians and officials. We will link bonuses for city employees to actual performance. We will strengthen the city’s efforts to fight and prevent crime by reorganizing and expanding the City Police. We will get rid of wasteful spending and upgrade infrastructure so that our economy can grow rapidly, create jobs and attract investment.

 

We will implement a new strategic development plan that will take Cape Town through the 2010 World Cup and the next twenty years. We will expand basic services in poor communities and conserve the natural beauty and the rich and diverse cultural heritage of Cape Town for future generations

 

Q : What is the DA’s position on the highly criticized Municipal Managers salaries? Would the DA support efforts to cap or limit these types of salaries? What other actions does the party believe are appropriate for this problem?

A : The DA has been very vocal on the issue of municipal managers’ salaries. In fact, it was a reply to a parliamentary question posed by the DA that revealed that the average salary for a district municipal manager is R642 376.00, before performance bonuses. This is shocking when one considers that 43 out of the 47 district municipalities have been targeted for Project Consolidate, the department of provincial and local government’s programme to revamp struggling municipalities.

 

Most municipal managers do not have the skills to do the job and are appointed based on their political connections and nothing else. 36% of managers only have a matric with a diploma or less, and one municipal manager does not even have a matric qualification. Thirty-seven percent of municipal managers have less than five years experience in local government, while 74% have eleven or less years of experience. The DA is not opposed to reasonable remuneration for fully qualified municipal managers that really perform. The DA believes firmly that performance should be rewarded and that it is vital that talented individuals are attracted to work in the local sphere of government.

 

Q : The DA has been criticized as a “white-party” with little mass based appeal. This was confirmed by the Markinor poll where it was found that only 2% of Africans supported the party (as apposed to the ANC with 84% support). Why does the DA have such an image problem with these voters and how does it intend to change this? 

A : In 2004 the DA made some inroads into the black vote and we are going to increase further our support in previously disadvantaged communities in the forthcoming election. Critics who dismiss the DA as a ‘white’ party often forget that we have more black support than historically ‘black’ parties like the PAC and Azapo. The DA is dedicated to reaching out over the racial divide and providing a political home for all, both white and black. This commitment is underlined by the fact that 55% of our electable candidates on the proportional representation (PR) lists in the six Metros are from previously disadvantaged communities. In the Ekurhuleni Metro, 63% of our PR candidates are black. 47% of the DA’s ward list comprises black candidates and a full 66% of the DA’s ward list comprises candidates from previously disadvantaged communities.

 

Q : If faced with a close election result in any election, would the DA be prepared to accept a partnership with any other party? If so, who does the DA feel closest to ideologically at the local level?

A : In a country where the ruling party has such a large majority, coalition-building between opposition parties is a practical – and often necessary – step. The DA will consider entering into a partnership with any other opposition party that shares our broad vision of an open, opportunity society, and whose co-operation contribute to good government.

 

Q : The last floor crossing period for the DA was a disaster and yet the party has not come out strongly against this practice. In addition there has also been widespread public condemnation of this issue. The DA was instrumental in opening this Pandora’s Box, does it regret its actions in this regard and what are the party’s thoughts on future floor-crossing?

A : The DA believes that floor-crossing, as currently practised by the ANC, poses a grave threat to democracy. Originally, floor-crossing legislation was intended to allow politicians to change parties on the basis of their conscience. Under the ANC, however, floor crossing has degenerated into the lowest form of chequebook politics. The DA is pushing to scrap floor crossing legislation. We also advocate a change to the current electoral system so that it incorporates a measure of constituency representation without sacrificing proportionality. Under this system, only those public representatives that are directly elected by voters would be allowed to cross the floor. Those that cross the floor for personal gain and not out of principle will have to face the wrath of the voters.

 

Q : Is there any specific candidate or ward that the DA feels particularly proud of? Who or which and why?

A : We are proud of all our candidates and all the wards and municipalities which we currently govern. It would be unfair to isolate only one, but often comparisons can be instructive. So take George, for example, which is run by the DA and is not far from the ANC-controlled Bitou Municipality (formerly Plettenberg Bay Municipality). For the last three years in a row, George has received unqualified reports from the Auditor-General. In 2004, the Auditor-General rated George as one of the top 25 municipalities in the country. And last year, George received a certificate for attaining the highest expenditure on its budget of all municipalities in the Western Cape.Where you have good government you have delivery. In George, since 2001, 3 000 residents have been given ownership of municipal rental homes. The municipality has received awards, both nationally and provincially, for its housing project. Over 85% of residents have access to free basic electricity and free basic water. Compare this with Bitou municipality next door, where less than half the population has access to free basic electricity, and over a third of residents have no access to water or sanitation.

 

Q : Finally, is there anything else the party would like to say to the people of SA before the elections?

A : Democracy only works if citizens participate and make their mark at the polls. The ANC has caused local government to spiral into a state of chaos. It is time to take action and initiate change by voting the ANC out of power. You can’t do that by staying at home on election day. You also can’t do that by wasting your vote on one of several small opposition parties that has no real chance of giving the ANC a run for its money. In short, we need to unite the opposition – not divide it. That means putting your cross behind the DA. Only in that way will we stop corruption and start delivery!

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Well there you have it! I would like to thank Mr Seremane for taking time off his schedule to answer our questions and wish him and his party all the best for the elections.