Multi-party convention agrees on name, vision, principles
The seven opposition parties at the national multi-party convention struck several agreements on Wednesday.
A name, a shared vision for South Africa, and governing principles were all finalised on the first day of the convention.
The parties decided that the pre-election agreement group would be known as Multi-Party Charter for South Africa.
Party leaders from the Democratic Alliance, Inkatha Freedom Party, Freedom Front Plus, ActionSA, Independent South African National Civic Organisation, United Independent Movement, and Spectrum National Party gathered at Kempton Park on Wednesday to discuss ways of working together ahead of the 2024 national elections.
The convention aims to form a working relationship between the parties, which they hope will allow them to unseat the ANC during the general elections in 2024.
The two-day talks are being held at Emperor’s Palace, where negotiations to pave the future of South Africa first took place through the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA).
Professor William Gumede, who chaired the discussions, said deliberations have been robust yet constructive.
"We have agreed that our Shared Vision for South Africa will be: A new government to build a just, inclusive, and prosperous South Africa based on opportunity, freedom, and security for all its citizens.
"We have agreed that the priorities of this new coalition government will be growing the economy and creating jobs, ending load shedding, and achieving energy security, achieving law and order that combats crime, corruption, and drugs, ensuring quality education that delivers opportunities for all, delivering basic services to all through high-quality infrastructure, building a professional public service that delivers to all and ending cadre deployment, ensuring quality healthcare for all within a caring healthcare system and building a social relief framework for South African households living in poverty."
Gumede said the parties have also agreed that the new coalition government will govern in accordance with 'shared governing principles', which are a commitment to:
-The South African Constitution, the rule of law, and equality before the law.
-Decentralising power to the lowest effective level of government, accountable, transparent government with zero-tolerance for corruption.
-Capable government that spends public money efficiently to deliver quality services to all.
-Caring government that puts people first and prioritises the poor, An open market economy.
-Policies guided by evidence that they produce positive results for society.
-Redress our unjust past by promoting nonracialism and unity in our diversity.
The parties also invited others that subscribe to their vision, priorities of government, shared governing principles and the pre-requisite to unseat the ANC and keep the EFF out of the government.
The invitation doesn't extend to the ANC and EFF.
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