DA leader John Steenhuisen on Friday unveiled a comprehensive plan to rejuvenate the Free State, promising a brighter future under DA governance.
In a bid to address the economic challenges plaguing the province, the party’s plan aims to revitalise its economy and create opportunities for its residents.
Steenhuisen highlighted the potential of the Free State as a hub for agriculture, mining, and manufacturing.
He emphasised the need for strategic interventions to unlock this potential and stimulate job creation.
“The Free State has all the ingredients for economic success, but it has been held back by years of mismanagement and neglect. On the expanded definition that includes people who have given up on ever finding work, 44 out of every 100 people cannot find a job. For young people, that figure skyrockets to seven out of 10.”
The DA’s plan includes measures to attract investment, support small businesses, and promote innovation and entrepreneurship.
“Out of a population of just under three million, there are only 231 000 registered taxpayers left. Over 92% of the province’s residents are too poor to even be registered with Sars. The unemployment and cost-of-living crisis in the Free State, which has made it impossible for many families to even put food on the table in this fertile province, is the direct result of decades of ANC corruption and misrule.
“Due to the disgraceful conduct of the ANC, the Free State is now home to some of the worst municipal governments you will find anywhere in the democratic world.
“By working together, we can build a Free State where every person has the opportunity to thrive and succeed. Investing in the Free State’s economy is not just about creating jobs; it’s about building a better future for generations to come. The Free State does not have a water crisis. It has an ANC governance and corruption crisis.
“Matjhabeng Municipality owes Bloemwater and Eskom a total of R10 billion. Despite constant power and water cuts, it still failed to spend over R191 million in grant funding meant to fix this mess, because the ANC simply does not care any more.
“In Clarens, residents took it upon themselves to tackle the scourge of load shedding. Through the installation of small-scale embedded generation across the town, as well as a smart metering system which alerts residents when load curtailment is required, Clarens has laid claim to the title of South Africa’s first load-shedding-free town.”
Steenhuisen highlighted that the party has a proven track record of effective governance, citing their success in uMngeni and Cape Town as examples.
“The DA believes in fostering partnerships with local communities, viewing them as allies rather than adversaries. This approach, known as the whole-of-society approach, will be implemented in the Free State with the support of residents on May 29.
“Additionally, besides bringing the DA’s proven track record of effective governance to the Free State, there’s a commitment to initiate skills development programmes. If the DA wins national government elections, they’ll establish a skills pipeline from the Western Cape to the Free State, utilising constitutional mechanisms to intervene in struggling municipalities.
“For the past three decades, the ANC has used this system of placing municipalities and provinces under administration as part of its internal factional battles.
“Consider that in the last five years, 80% of new jobs in South Africa were created in the DA-led Western Cape. By electing the DA at both provincial and national levels, we can bring these same job-creating experts to the Free State.”
Steenhuisen added that voting for the DA meant voting to solve critical issues such as load shedding and water shortages plaguing the Free State. It meant aiming to cut the rate of violent crime in half and taking decisive action against corruption and cadre deployment.
“There is only one reason why the Free State is so far from fulfilling its true potential, that reason is ANC is a party of manipulators – if you don’t have a job, they try to manipulate you with a promise of a job that will never come. If you want to access education, they manipulate you with promises about NSFAS that they never deliver. If you are thirsty, they manipulate you with promises of water that will never flow.
“However, as the election approaches, most of the focus is falling on the provinces of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, but people are massively underestimating the Free State.
“At the same time, support for the DA is up from 17% to 25%, which would be by far the highest level of support we have ever garnered here. This means that, on its own, the DA has already reached the halfway mark of the total support the Multi-Party Charter needs to form a new government to rescue the Free State.
“If you want a big, strong party with a proven track record of delivery and job creation to anchor a new government to rescue the Free State, vote DA and same strong anchor party at the heart of a new national government to rescue South Africa, vote DA,” said Steenhuisen.
The Star
