The DA’s Economic Justice Policy seeks to scrap what it terms race-based policies such as Black Economic Empowerment (BEE). The official opposition party is of the view that policies such as these benefit the elite and not the poor.
The official opposition is of the view that if the nation wishes to create an economically inclusive and non-racial South Africa it must address inequalities of opportunity.
The opposition party says policies such as BEE have done nothing to empower the majority of Black South Africans.
DA leader, John Steenhuisen, who is running for a second term, has previously expressed his stance on race-based policies.
”Many of the inequalities that we still sit with in South Africa – racial, spatial and economic – are precisely born out of the fact that this government remains obsessed with racial classification. It is kind of like taking poison to try and cure yourself of other poisoning,” says Steenhuisen.
The 35-page policy, which the DA terms as its plan for South Africa to beat the past and build the future, seeks to create “a just society in which economic opportunities are available to all.”
Video: SABC news Politics Editor Mzwandile Mbeje in conversation with DA leader, John Steenhuisen
Political analyst, Thami Maliga says some people are not convinced of the DA’s policy proposition.
”If you go through the executive summary of this economic justice policy, you find that the DA is at odds trying to paint itself as a liberal party, but in reality, it is this party that is leaning much to the right. When you read the document you fail to reconcile what they are saying in the document with what they are doing in the Western Cape.”
Malinga argues that in such an unequal society, this Economic Justice Policy needs to be revised.
”You have this economic justice policy (which) talks a whole lot of hogwash about how we are having an unequal society and yet you come to this second chapter and you are saying let’s scrap this one policy that talks about how we seek to redress equality in terms of opportunity.”
Just over 2000 delegates are expected to gather at Gallagher Estate in Midrand for the DA’s Congress this weekend.
