All about…

• A simple and well-targeted manifesto;
• It’s good; and
• It’s the most overtly committed to the constitutional principle of social justice.

Basic income and social policy

• A basic income grant of R999 per month for people living below the poverty line;
• It can be funded through efficiencies –restructuring government, professionalising the public service and some tax reforms. (That probably means tax increases. Ed.); and
• The old-age pension grant should work more like a pension fund, with funds invested in a universal pension fund.

Climate change and the environment

• The party sees climate change action as a “moral obligation”; and
• The primary way to mitigate climate change is through energy production.

Crime and corruption

• A focus on crime prevention;
• Psychosocial support rather than policing for substance abuse, mental health and economic stress;
• A “Don’t shut up, speak up” campaign against gender-based violence to encourage and support its reporting;
• Eliminating corruption is an ethical leadership requirement. Focused on detecting and preventing corruption, because too often it is discovered after it has been committed;
• Proposes multi-agency anti-corruption task teams;
• Supports a fully transparent digital procurement task team; and
• Incentivise whistleblowers and fund the National Prosecuting Authority and the Special Investigating Unit better.

Economy

• Inclusive economic growth policies to form pathways out of poverty;
• Reduce income inequality between the CEO and the worker;
• Eradicate the gender pay gap, where women earn 23%–35% less than men for the same work, according to the World Economic Forum;
• Cut red tape;
• Invest in green energy, tourism, manufacturing, ICT and infrastructure; and
• Public works programmes: cleaning river banks, parks, beaches and other recreational areas. Cleaning roads, pavements, storm water drains and culverts. Upgrade and maintain sidewalks.

Education

• Invest in early childhood education;
• Completely eradicate pit toilets at schools;
• More social services in schools for learners and educators; and
• More vocational and artisan skills training.

Global policy

• Support reform of the global UN Security Council, International Money Fund and World Bank;
• Aligned with the Global South; and
• Forthright on support for Palestine and a two-state solution.

Governance

• Rethink the role and size of the national and provincial governments.
• Political leaders should not be involved in the recruitment of a professional public service.
• Increased public service set-asides for people living with disabilities.

Jobs

• Sees investing in public infrastructure (electricity, transport, water, housing, digital communication) as the basis for real economic growth, resulting in more jobs.
• Jobs also created by providing financial support for small businesses and investing more in public employment programmes.

Land

• A focus on spatial justice in cities;
• More subsidised and affordable housing on land that is close to job opportunities in cities, or bring jobs closer to people;
• Release public land for land reform, black empowerment, poverty alleviation and job creation; and
• Proper restitution for victims of apartheid through land or monetary compensation.

Housing

• Increase the supply of social and community housing connected to critical infrastructure with better free supplies (electricity, water, sanitation, etc);
• Access to title deeds: transfer rental stock to long-term tenants; regularise the informal market with title transfers in the RDP housing market;
• Make urban informal settlements formal; and
• Temporary housing for homeless people.

Power cuts

• Actively supports renewable energy as the way to end load shedding because ”green energy is the cheapest and most effective form of energy production”;
• A rapid transition to renewable energy in the private sector; and
• Supports a just transition for coal industry workers and nearby communities in coal belts.

LGBTQIA+

• Safe, happier lives for LGBTQIA+ people;
• Anti-bullying campaign in schools; and
• A culture of love for the LGBTQIA+ community.

Transport

• Integrated and affordable transport through a single local government transport authority; and
• Integrate land use and development with public transport.

Reality check

• It’s a small and focused manifesto with a clear view of the world and of what the party would do.
• Good is unlikely to win the election, so it gives a sense of what kind of partner it would be in coalition governments.

What’s good

• The focus on the LGBTQIA+ community is essential, and the proposal for a basic income grant is clear. DM

This article first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick newspaper, DM168, which is available countrywide for R29.