Freedom Day: true freedom can only be achieved by providing well-paying jobs and securing communities

Herman Mashaba

South Africa can only achieve true freedom if we start to undo the stark inequality prevalent in the country, by providing our people with well-paying jobs and turning the tide against crime in our communities.

Restoring the rule of law, which has broken down under the ruling party is key, and freedom can only be attained if we remove the ruling party at the ballot box on the 29th of May.

As ActionSA commemorated 30 years of democracy in South Africa in Orange Farm, Johannesburg, I shared how South Africa has not achieved the dream that millions hoped for in 1994. Too many of our people have become captive to the cycle of poverty while our communities have grown dangerous as crime has spiralled out of control.

It is clear that the unpatriotic ruling party has let our people down with unemployment surpassing previous records and inequality increasing, while 85 people are being murdered in our country every single day.

This year, ActionSA believes that South Africans have an opportunity to turn around the decay in our country and restore the country to a path of prosperity by removing the ruling party at the ballot box on the 29th of May.

ActionSA’s pragmatic policies will help achieve true freedom in the country by creating millions of new jobs, expanding social grants, restoring the rule of law and securing our borders.

ActionSA’s election manifesto, released last month, provides South Africa with implementable solutions which would fundamentally improve our country within months of taking office.

Among the actions we would take if given an electoral majority include expanding social grants by implementing a universal basic income stimulus to ensure no person in our country goes hungry.

We will introduce the Opportunity Fund, funded by all businesses, excluding SMMEs, to undo the harmful legacy of apartheid, to support black entrepreneurs, build schools and the necessary infrastructure in these communities.

Reforming and liberalising key sectors such as logistics and energy to unlock competition, stabilise prices and unleash economic growth which would create millions of new jobs.

Reforming the draconian labour laws which make it impossible for businesses to hire new employees and reduce bureaucracy to make it easier for entrepreneurs to be successful.

Restoring the rule of law by ensuring that life in prison means life in prison, forcing prisoners to repay their debt to society by engaging in public works programs, and creating specialised policing units.

Free our law enforcement agencies to operate without any political interference and establishment of a Chapter 9 Institution to specifically tackle cases of corruption, murder, rape, illicit goods and narcotics.

Securing our borders by reforming the Border Management Authority (BMA), removing illicit goods and drugs from our economy, and improving the functioning of the Department of Home Affairs to make it easier for people to contribute to our economy.

Investing in quality education with a focus on maths and science to ensure we produce the next generation of engineers and accountants, and the introduction of technical colleges to make sure we have the skills to grow our economy.

These policies will help give our people economic freedom to make decisions over their own lives, instead of being dependent on the state for social support.

However, these policies can only be implemented if voters remove the ruling party and give ActionSA the mandate at the ballot box on the 29th of May.

It is only through taking action by voting that we can put South Africa onto a path of prosperity, because it is only action that will fix South Africa.

Herman Mashaba is ActionSA President