Minority Front Policies: Saturday Independent

1. Jobs Policy

Job creation encapsulates the MF slogan “One Vision One Future”, with the MF being the first party in 2000 to debate Affirmative action in parliament. The sunset clause of 2014 was monitored and upon evaluation, the MF has called for its scrapping now. The MF will not support amendments to the Employment Equity Act which hurts; especially minority Indian and Colored people who are the smallest minority groupings; with suppressive clauses on national demographics. Education, skills, and costs remain critical to job creation where wage and labour costs must be responsive to local market conditions and available skills; a government database for prospective employers and employees must be created. The public administration management bill with amendments to fast track screening of public servants with respect to qualifications and disclosures and the prohibition of doing business with government is imperative for service delivery and professionalism. South African policies must be redesigned for full employment to reduce poverty and inequality.

2. Economic Policy

MF supports BBBEE after the recent amendments included many of our key proposals. Equal opportunities for all citizens in the primary agriculture and agro- processing , mining and beneficiation, telecoms, science and research, tourism, arts and crafts, family businesses and energy sector with green jobs. SA  needs to turn dead capital into working capital by promoting  land and home ownership, regulating the informal sector, focusing on competitive rather than comparative advantages in SA with successful home grown corporates rather than MNC’s who do turnkey projects with no skills transfer. FDI’s must flow to required industries. Financial literacy at school level must be improved and access to funding through a remodelled Ithala Bank. Credit access is essential to move SA from a dual to developed economy.

3. Education Policy

The highest investment must be made for knowledge expansion with full human scale development. ECD, FET, vocational training and specialized universities must increase eg: entrepreneurship and medical schools, technikons and colleges. MF has called for the scrapping of quintile funding system and university quotas. School curriculae must be extended to include mother-tongue languages, physical education, local politics and moral regeneration. Faith based schools and public private partnerships must be the focus to improve the MDG’s, HDI and innovation indices of SA.

4. Stance on Crime and Corruption

South Africa is at risk of becoming a lawless country. Murders; rape; burglaries, cash heists; kidnapping; business hold-ups; hijackings and a multitude of petty crime are unacceptably high, hence the MF boldly calls for the re-instatement of the death penalty with the proviso that; our forensic directorate is ready to identify and catch the real culprits. The MF calls for skilled persons to be given safety and security high ranking posts, so that, the gaps will be closed for drug entry into the borders of our country and law enforcement, implemented effectively, so that, the perpetrators have nowhere to run or hide. As candidates we must all pledge commitment to minimise corruption with strong and honest leadership. SA requires a stronger judiciary and internal audit units in departments. MF will support honest pressure groups to bring transparency and accountability into our government system. There must be more national movements against corruption to educate citizens of their social obligations. The MF supports an alternate oversight accountability model for parliament not designed by government. The MF will promote strong civic forums to challenge the decision making and participate in government projects so that outcomes are favourable. The MF will ensure a value model for public participation to be drawn up by all departments so that there is active citizen engagement.

5. Land Policy

MF supports willing seller, willing buyer principle. Redistribution and restitution must have policy buy-in from active public participation. The MF will monitor and assist communities with information regarding land reform so that land claims becomes efficient and backlogs are reduced. The MF supports spatial land development which will promote economic development, full employment, green jobs, and efficient and environmentally sustainable land use. Government has to complete its fixed asset register in order to finalise its user asset management and custodian asset management plans so that available government land can be sold or leased to the private sector. Phase two of the coastal management plan must be finalised so that selected parts of the beach can cater for the needs of subsistence fishermen and cultural organisations which worship the sea.

6. Nkandla Issue

For educated citizens who pay taxes, Nkandla will irk them, but for the majority of poor people, bread and butter issues and the lack of political knowledge will supersede the Nkandla issue