The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Friday expressed its readiness for its national manifesto launch, on Saturday, and wants President Cyril Ramaphosa to urgently announce the date of the 2024 elections.

The DA will launch its national manifesto at a march to the Union Buildings, with the party expecting about 15 000 supporters, with the majority being from Gauteng.

DA head of policy Mat Cuthbert explained that the party’s manifesto focussed on key solutions needed to turn the country around. He said the party believed that with civil society and business, it could rescue South Africa.

DA chief whip Siviwe Gwarube highlighted that the party was launching its manifesto in a “very difficult time in South Africa”, where 30-million people were living in poverty, seven out of ten young people did not have jobs and many of the country’s communities were unsafe.

South Africa was recently plunged into Stage 6 loadshedding, even after a commitment by Ramaphosa and his Minister for Electricity that South Africa is seeing the beginning of the end of loadshedding.

Gwarube said the DA’s plan sought to lift people out of poverty, create jobs and solve the energy crisis that was hindering the country’s growth.

ELECTION DATE

The DA believes the African National Congress (ANC) has an unfair advantage in the announcement of the election date, and is calling for Ramaphosa to let the rest of the country in on when voters will head to the polls.

She said that it was very important for the DA that Ramaphosa proclaimed the election date.

“It is our view that it is an unfair advantage to the ANC that the President is not announcing the election date. We were hoping that we would see the announcements in Parliament this week,” she said.

She said the party wanted to ensure that South Africans knew what the DA was working towards.

“We are ready, and we are ready to make sure that we work towards an election date, where we are going to see South Africa usher in a new government. The DA has been poised internally to not only make the offer to South Africans of where we are but also to ready ourselves. We have been engaged in a series of ready-to-govern workshops with various provinces. We have identified strategic provinces where research shows that we are likely to see DA-lead coalition governments, whether it is in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng or the Northern Cape and of course the intention is to retain the Western Cape with an increased majority,” said Gwarube.

She highlighted that all this was not viewed outside of the overarching and very bold goal of forming a national government that was going to be led by opposition parties, in 2024.

“We believe that South Africa cannot afford to have another five years of the ANC at the helm of government and that we desperately need an alternative, and we believe that the alternative is not only poised to take over but we have identified a clear path to victory. The formation of the Multi-Party Charter for South Africa has also increased our view of how we get to a national government coalition,” said Gwarube.

She said research showed that the DA was well on its way to achieving its targets and its electoral goals.

“This research is only a guide because ultimately the most important poll is the poll on election day and we take nothing for granted. We are going to be working flat out as soon as this manifesto is launched,” she said.

EVENTS FOR MANIFESTO LAUNCH

DA federal chairperson Dr Ivan Meyer said the march to the Union Buildings held symbolic importance, signifying the party’s determination to usher in a new era of governance, “bidding farewell to stagnation”.

The DA was poised to lead, prioritising the welfare of the people, he added.

“Anticipation is high for the most extensive march ever witnessed, with hundreds of buses converging from across the country, most notably Gauteng,” he said.

The event served as an opportunity for unity, embodying the DA’s collective commitment to rescuing South Africa. He highlighted that this preparation extended beyond logistics; it was about curating an experience that mirrored the values and vision of the DA.

Meyer added that the DA's manifesto transcended mere promises and that it was a meticulously researched, data-driven plan that addressed the current crises facing the nation.

“From tackling wasteful spending to addressing the electricity crisis, investing in education, and fostering economic growth, our manifesto outlines practical solutions,” he promised.

Meyer said the ANC had broken the dream of former President Nelson Mandela.

“We know the ANC broke the Constitution and they broke it in the decision-making and plans and execution in the executive. We are here at the Union Buildings because this is the centre of power and it’s the place that must have the highest respect for the Constitution of South Africa, in terms of the powers and duties of the executive but also in terms of the Office of the President,” he explained.

He added that the DA would be at the Union Buildings with a clear message because the DA was a government in waiting.

“…Because under the ANC this place has become a failed State, a criminal State and a mafia State,” said Meyer.