The African Christian Democracy Party (ACDP) is underscoring its commitment to a safer South Africa for citizens and investors, with an emphasis on respect for all and a promise to bring back the death penalty to deal with the country’s high levels of crime, if the party is elected to govern after the May election.

ACDP leader Kenneth Meshoe spoke exclusively with Polity on Friday, and unpacked the party’s policies laid out in its 2024 election manifesto, as well as his resistance to enter into a coalition with the African National Congress (ANC) or the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).

Discussing employment opportunities, he said for the country to be able to create jobs, security needed to be addressed. He said investors had to be assured of their safety to create an environment that was conducive to job creation.

He said investors must also be assured that their assets would not be “burnt down” as Meshoe said “South Africa is notorious for torching things” if citizens are unhappy.

Added to that, he said government policy must be stable and assuring for investors.

“We want business to do their work, their businesses, without government interference. When the climate is conducive for investment and job creation and investments come, we will be able to deal with the problems of joblessness. Because people will get jobs when people start investing,” Meshoe laid out.

In dealing with crime in the country, the ACDP promises to double the number of police and Meshoe expressed the need to reintroduce the death penalty.

“We are not ashamed to say that. Crime is out of hand, we will introduce anything that will help to reduce crime. We will ensure that criminals do not have the same rights as law-abiding citizens, as their victims. You become a criminal, you are found and evidence is there you committed the crime, you definitely will suffer consequences,” he stated.

Criminals were currently not afraid of the law, Meshoe said, and the ACDP wanted to turn that around by closing the gap in the ratio of police to citizens, by not overloading detectives with cases and by properly training and equipping detectives.

“In South Africa, unfortunately, the arm of the law is weak. And the ACDP wants to strengthen the arm of the law so that we can bite, so that criminals can start fearing the law. Criminals don’t fear, they challenge. That’s why they even rob police stations,” he said.

WHISTLEBLOWERS AND COALITIONS

Another priority to deal with crime and corruption was the incentivisation of whistleblowers.

Meshoe said an ACDP government would pay people for exposing corruption, adding that communities should be assured of their protection if they speak up against crimes witnessed.

He also had a warning for police who were supposedly paid to expose whistleblowers.

“Anybody, any policeman who exposes a whistleblower, we will have rules and regulations and laws that will govern how to deal with corruption. That will include punishment for those that are involved in corruption. There are policemen, corrupt police, that sell dockets and that expose whistleblowers. If you expose a whistleblower, there will be a sentence for you,” he warned.

Added to this, Meshoe said the ACDP would not enter into coalitions with parties that were corrupt.

He said corruption within the ANC and among Cabinet members was known, referencing the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, which revealed the names of some government officials involved in corrupt activities.

“…the ANC does not want to deal with them. Some are still on the 2024 election list. So they are not serious about eradicating corruption. So when it comes to the ANC, the ACDP has said they have shown their true colours, and therefore the ACDP will not form a coalition with them. Secondly, the EFF have shown a disrespect not only to authority, [they have] shown a lack of respect to elders. ACDP still believes strongly in respect,” Meshoe stated.

As part of the Multiparty Charter, which could possibly form a coalition government if the ANC falls well below 50% of support in the upcoming election, the ACDP is happy to work with parties that won’t steal from the poor.

When asked about how the ACDP would enforce its own policies in a coalition government, Meshoe said nobody in the Multiparty Charter would be forced to change their values or policies.  

“So, the Multiparty Charter, we will tell them what we believe in. The first acknowledgement is that we have different political philosophies, values and that we are not going to force anybody to change their values or polices. Everybody who is part of the Multiparty Charter knows that they are not going to lose their identity. We will remain the ACDP that was ACDP in 1994. Our policies do not change. But working together to bring services – we are willing to work together with those we know will not steal from the mouths of the poor,” he said.

ISRAEL, IMMIGRANTS AND NHI

When asked about why the ACDP wants to re-establish full diplomatic relations with Israel and move the South African Embassy to Jerusalem, if the party comes into power, Meshoe said “every country has a right to exist.”

He noted that no government or organisation – referring to Iran and Hamas – had the right to say a country did not have the right to exist.

“We are saying we should not allow hatred to blind us. If there are problems, solve those problems diplomatically, but allow everybody to exist. If a country has to be removed from the face of the earth because of their mistakes, South Africa should be one of them. South Africa has oppressive laws. They care more about people outside the country, from the continent, than their own people. When their own people cry for assistance, it doesn’t come. They are told there is no money and yet there is money to give service from people who come from outside,” the ACDP leader stated.

He stressed that he was not “anti-people from outside”. He said he agreed that people should enter South Africa legally. It was illegal immigrants he took issue with, noting that South Africa’s border were too porous.

He said government did not even know the exact number of illegal immigrants in the country at the moment.

He claimed that illegal immigration had exacerbated the crime problem in South Africa, as unregistered persons commited crimes and could not be identified or arrested.

Meshoe said the illegal immigration issue would also seep into the healthcare space, if government’s proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) was passed.

He called the NHI “political electioneering”, saying it was unimplementable.

“How is government going to ensure that people will not come from as high as Somali, to come to free South African hospitals. Because of NHI everyone is going to be given free access. It is impossible. It is unworkable. There are qualified workers who are not employed. Where will they [government] get money to make NHI workable?” he asked.

There has been public outcry from various sectors, against the proposed NHI, with Meshoe pointing out that doctors and medical companies have threatened to take government to court if the NHI came to fruition.

2024 ELECTIONS

With a proliferation of new political parties entering the electoral fray, and many of the established parties campaigning hard to be given the mandate to govern, Meshoe said if South Africans wanted to live in security and safety, they should vote for the ACDP.

He said when considering the ACDP, voters should ask themselves whether the party was reliable and trustworthy and whether it had been involved in corruption.

“People must look at the ACDP’s track record when it comes to trust. Are they respectful to people? What is their policy on service delivery, how are they planning to give services to people? Those who want to live in security and in safety must vote for the ACDP because that is one of our strong areas A. good life for all will not be possible when people are not living in safety and the ACDP promises the safety that the current government is failing to implement . . . and to assure citizens, they will find it in the ACDP,” he promised.