"We, the people of South Africa, Recognise the injustices of our past; Honour those who suffered for justice and freedom in our land; Respect those who have worked to build and develop our country; and Believe that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity.” Preamble to the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.

Tuesday, 2 October 2012

DA: Working for Change, Working for Jobs.



My next few posts are going to be dedicated to the Democratic Alliance's Working for Change Working for Jobs campaign. It outlines the DA's plan to grow South Africa's economy to create millions of new jobs over the next ten years, so that no one has to live in poverty, and every South African is able to live a better life. It's a lot of material, so I will just post in brief, but will add links to full documents.


Overview
 
18 years after the end of Apartheid, South Africa is still a country of insiders and outsiders. The insiders have access to jobs, income, skills and assets, but the excluded live in poverty, without skills and without jobs.

The DA has a plan to break down the barriers that keep so many locked out of opportunity. We plan to generate a dynamic economy that includes everyone. Our plan paves the way for a very different future: one of innovation, entrepreneurship, investment and growth.


That is why we are
working for change, and working for jobs.

The Plan

The DA’s Growth and Jobs plan outlines how the DA will reduce poverty and create jobs by putting South Africa on a high-growth path. Our plan outlines how the DA will break down the barriers to opportunity by allowing an open and inclusive economy to develop in which each person has the skills and the resources to become a productive member of a dynamic, integrated and forward-looking society.

The document below outlines how we will build this new society of opportunity.

Growing the Economy

South Africa has overcome enormous obstacles, but the biggest problem we face as a nation remains: poverty. Too many South Africans live in poverty, struggling every day to get by. They are locked out of opportunity and unable to participate in the economic mainstream.

The only sustainable way to lift a nation out of poverty is to grow the economy.
Economies like Peru, Singapore and Vietnam have all recently achieved growth rates of 8% - and this has allowed them to tackle social ills like poverty, unemployment and inequality. In fast-growing Brazil poverty has fallen from 20% of the population to 7% in five years.

Economic growth is essential for poverty eradication. No country has created jobs without growth.


In South Africa there are too many constraints to growth  – and underpinning all of them is the fact that too many South Africans are left out of the economy and are unable to contribute to driving growth because they cannot find work, they cannot attain skills and they cannot start a business. Too few people participate in our economy.


The DA has a plan to change the South African economy from one that trickles along at 3% per year to one that grows at 8% so that we can lift millions of people out of poverty. We want to unlock the potential in the South African economy, break down the barriers between economic insiders and outsiders and
make the market work for the many, not just the few.

Our plan is to build a dynamic, stake-holder-led economy that opens and expands economic opportunities to all. We believe South Africa has what it takes to grow at 8% and our plan will take us there.

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