Durban — The Multi-Party Charter (MPC) has vowed to fight economic “suicide” which they believe was created by the ANC.
The MPC which consists of the DA, ActionSA, the Freedom Front Plus (FF+), IFP, the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), United Independent Movement (UIM), and the Independent South African National Civic Organisation (Isanco), held a media briefing in Durban on Wednesday and said their main objective was to fight poverty by changing the economic status of the country.
The group was formed in July to change the country’s political direction.
In August, the parties signed a landmark pre-election coalition agreement.
DA leader John Steenhuisen said he was proud the multiple parties shared the vision of saving South Africa in the forthcoming elections.
“We are from different backgrounds, communities, and traditions who share one common goal – a better South Africa.
IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa said South Africans needed leaders with practical vision and strong political willpower to make the right decisions, no matter how tough.
“The country is in crisis because the ANC chose the wrong alliance partners,” he said.
“Since 1994 the SACP and Cosatu have consistently undermined the government’s economic programmes which were already set out to assist in the developmental stage aimed to elevate a welfare state that has inevitably collapsed.”
ActionSA President Herman Mashaba urged the public to vote for parties committed to public administration: “The only way to make a difference in the lives of South Africans is to change the policies that are destroying the country.”
The ACDP’s Wayne Thring said the ruling party had no solution to fixing the dwindling economy:
“These debts are leading to higher taxes, fewer jobs, increased poverty and inequality.
The ACDP has called for the protection of poverty rights within the existing constitutional provisions.
“We also want the reduction of red tape by creating pathways for our unskilled youth to get into the job market,” said Thring.
But ANC KZN spokesperson Mafika Mndebele said opposition parties had no clue how to run a complex economy such as South Africa’s. Independent political analyst Thobani Khumalo said the seven political parties of the MPC would remain divided and competitive.
He said they needed to unite to have one voice and vision.
“These parties are deceiving each other and the citizens. They failed to take down the ANC in the local government coalitions because they focused more on competing against each other,” said Khumalo.
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