We need leaders who are honest servants of the people\u2026with respect for values and the principles of the South African people\u2026.a growing economy\u2026ensuring sustainable development educating and training our people for development ensuring safety for all citizen advancing the African Agenda and creating a better world.<\/p>\n
TODAY WE REITERATE WHAT WE SAID IN 2009, only this time we say it with a greater sense of urgency and the certainty that the vast majority of the people of our country will agree that SOUTH AFRICA DESERVES A BETTER GOVERNMEN with leaders who are honest servants of the people, who have respect for values and the principles of the South African people, meet their promises of service delivery and lead and create conditions for a growing economy and sustainable development, a world class education system, quality safety and security for all in human settlements that are conducive to building social cohesion, a better South Africa and therefore place us in a better position to contribute to advancing the African Agenda and creating a better world.<\/p>
IN 2009 WE SAID THAT SOUTH AFRICA NEEDED a government of the people and that there was a need to inspire South Africans to build a better South Africa. Today we say that SOUTH AFRICA DESERVES A BETTER GOVERNMENT. We are reminding you that YOUR VOTE CAN DELIVER IT! Today we are asking you to see that YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU.<\/p>\n
TODAY we are calling on you to SAVE SOUTH AFRICA. SOUTH AFRICA DESERVES A BETTER GOVERNMENT – A GOVERNMENT THAT KEEPS ITS PROMISES AND REPORTS BACK.<\/p>
IN OUR 2009 MANIFESTO WE PROMISED YOU leaders who are honest and committed to serving the people. We said that \u201cCOPE will present South Africa with a leadership who are committed to serving the people, protecting and preserving public resources and assets and ensure that corruption, waste and mismanagement are eradicated\u201d.<\/p>\n
WE ARE PROUD TO REPORT to South Africans today that we are still bound by that commitment and that we stayed true to that undertaking. Wherever we found that our leaders or members were implicated in any of the above stated wrong-doing we acted with speed and without fear or favour.<\/p>\n
IN OUR 2009 MANIFESTO WE PROMISED YOU a government of the people and said amongst other things that \u201cOur country is full of good, hard-working people who deserve a government that is truly accountable and committed to serving them and does not tolerate corruption and personal greed. To achieve this objective, COPE will enable people to directly elect their most senior representatives, namely, the President, Premiers and Mayors.<\/p>\n
WE ARE PROUD TO REPORT to South Africans today that we are still committed to those principles and to that effect, the First National Congress of the Party revised our constitution to enable that with effect from the next Congress, the President of the Party be elected directly by all members of the Party, not only delegates attending the Congress – something that is unprecedented in South Africa. This is a process we intend to cascade down to the provincial and regional leadership of the Party in line with our 2009 commitment.<\/p>\n
SOUTH AFRICA DESERVES A BETTER GOVERNMENT A GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE WITH THE PEOPLE. TO ACHIEVE THIS WE REITERATE OUR 2009 COMMITMENT THAT A COPE GOVERNMENT WILL:<\/p>\n
\u2022 introduce the direct election of Presidents by all South Africans, Premiers by all voters in a province and Mayors by all voters in the municipality in order to strengthen the power of South Africans to hold their leaders to account<\/p>\n
\u2022 introduce an amendment to current legislation, which is currently not explicit on the issue, that will and a transparent reconciliation of votes to voter material to eliminate any possibility of election fraud<\/p>\n
SOUTH AFRICA DESERVES A GOVERNMENT WITH LEADERS WHO ARE HONEST SERVANTS OF THE PEOPLE – A COPE GOVERNMENT WILL:<\/p>\n
\u2022 once again present South Africa with leaders who are committed to serving the people, protecting and preserving public resources and assets and ensuring that corruption, waste and mismanagement are eradicated<\/p>\n
\u2022 downsize government so that resources can be redirected towards investment in the economy<\/p>\n
SOUTH AFRICA DESERVES A GOVERNMENT WITH LEADERS WHO HAVE RESPECT FOR VALUES AND THE PRINCIPLES OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN PEOPLE – A COPE GOVERNMENT WILL:<\/p>\n
IN OUR 2009 MANIFESTO we indicated that \u201cSince the formation of the Congress of the People, traditional leaders and the rural masses have thrown their weight behind COPE and Communities of faith too have been at the forefront of the formation and promotion of the agenda to promote South African values that are progressive such as integrity, honesty and the rule of law, all of which are found in our faiths and religions in their diversity.<\/p>\n
WE ARE PROUD TO REPORT to South Africans today that even more traditional leaders, rural masses as well as communities of faith have realised today what some realised then that South Africa deserves a better government and they have come in greater numbers to support the cause we started then, a cause we continue to be committed to:<\/p>\n
WE CONTINUE WITH OUR COMMITMENT to build identity of the South African nation, giving us pride in ourselves as a people, constituting part of what makes all of us \u2013 Proudly South African!<\/i><\/p>\n
SOUTH AFRICA DESERVES A GOVERNMENT WITH LEADERS WHO MEET THEIR PROMISES OF SERVICE DELIVERY<\/p>\n
Our Bill of Rights states that citizens have constitutional rights such as access to adequate housing, health care, food, water, education, a healthy environment, and security<\/p>\n
A COPE GOVERNMENT WILL:<\/p>\n
\u2022 install strong and stable state institutions to provide these services. These include provisions for decent schools, housing, health care facilities, water, sewage, adequate roads<\/p>\n
\u2022 re-commit itself to ensuring that all spheres of government are obliged by law to work consistently to create a climate of tolerance for different points of view, and the active involvement of the people in determining all elements of their future<\/p>\n
\u2022 attract skilled and professional personnel these areas and will train additional personnel<\/p>\n
\u2022 ensure that public servants have the minimum requirement where there is a lack in existing legislation in this area<\/p>\n
\u2022 introduce a user-friendly system for reporting failure in municipal services, such as water supply, refuse removal, municipal maintenance and other services<\/p>\n
\u2022 ensure that inspectors are appointed to examine all services and see that standards are maintained<\/p>\n
\u2022 ensure that by-laws are enforced and transgressions prosecuted<\/p>\n
\u2022 set clear minimum standards for service delivery and<\/p>\n
\u2022 provide a benchmark for service delivery to ensure all communities receive the same level of quality of service<\/p>\n
\u2022 ensure that an inventory of repairs that are required to be made, is drawn up so that repairs and maintenance work can be prioritised and cost<\/p>\n
\u2022 ensure that the National Budget is restructured so that more funding and capacity is directed towards local government so that service delivery is enhanced and communities participation is included in the supply of services or aligned to any political party as this creates a<\/p>\n
SOUTH AFRICA DESERVES A GOVERNMENT THAT IS RELIABLE, ACCOUNTABLE AND INCORRUPTIBLE<\/p>\n
Accountability requires government ministers and public representatives to subject themselves and their actions (or lack of action) to sharp and continuous scrutiny. Accountability ensures quality outcomes.<\/p>\n
Corruption in all spheres must be stamped out because it corrodes the fabric of society. The PFMA and MFMA are excellent pieces of legislation, but the practice of by-passing the measures in these Acts has seriously harmed our economy and must be fully addressed. Our country is full of good and hard-working people who deserve a government that is truly accountable and fully committed to serving them in an ethical, honest and intelligent manner. For the people of South Africa, only the best form of governance is acceptable.<\/p>\n
To achieve this objective of total accountability –<\/p>\n
A COPE GOVERNMENT WILL:<\/p>\n
\u2022 require all legislatures to demand much higher levels of accountability from themselves as public representatives<\/p>\n
\u2022 empower all legislatures to demand greater accountability of all members of the executive<\/p>\n
\u2022 allow for an annual debate in all legislatures on the extent to which gover ning parties are observing constitutionality, the rule of law and transparency<\/p>\n
\u2022 create conditions to ensure that the public as well as the private sector comply with requirements for accountability, transparency and good governance<\/p>\n
\u2022 protect the independence of Chapter 9 Institutions.<\/p>\n
SOUTH AFRICA DESERVES A GOVERNMENT THAT EMPOWERS CITIZENS – A COPE GOVERNMENT WILL:<\/p>\n
\u2022 improve public participation in all spheres of government through the increased use of new technologies such as Information and Communications Technologies (ICT)<\/p>\n
\u2022 ensure that popularly elected representatives can constitutional procedures<\/p>\n
\u2022 encourage South Africans to develop a culture of working together through voter coalitions to enhance the voice of every voter and give citizens parties<\/p>\n
\u2022 facilitate, support, safeguard and reward citizen activism and investigative journalism to increase accountability<\/p>\n
\u2022 ensure that public representatives service their communities without any political bias that would favour members of their party<\/p>\n
\u2022 create conditions that facilitate NGO initiatives that aim to empower individuals and hold government accountable – such as anti-corruption and service delivery watchdogs – to be more effective and farreaching, so as to bring these programmes closer to the people<\/p>\n
\u2022 require all citizens to pay for basic services unless<\/p>\n
SOUTH AFRICA DESERVES A GOVERNMENT THAT CAN LEAD AND CREATE CONDITIONS FOR A GROWING ECONOMY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT – A COPE GOVERNMENT WILL:<\/p>\n
\u2022 support the implementation of the National<\/p>\n
Development Plan (NDP)<\/p>\n
\u2022 focus on developing implementation strategies to make the NDP work<\/p>\n
\u2022 support the growth of Agriculture, manufacturing and mining which are seriously under-performing at the moment will be given encouragement and assistance to increase production and expand employment<\/p>\n
\u2022 ensure that small, medium and micro enterprises enjoy increased support from government making business<\/p>\n
\u2022 affordable loans will enable start-up enterprises, with mentoring support to make sure small businesses succeed<\/p>\n
\u2022 implement sound environmental practices, with an emphasis on sustainable development, recycling, and environmental sustainability<\/p>\n
\u2022 organic farming, for instance, will be encouraged to protect both consumers and the environment<\/p>\n
\u2022 rural areas will be supported to create niche markets and take advantage of the growth of tourism to South Africa<\/p>\n
\u2022 create more trade-able goods and expand inter-<\/p>\n
African trade<\/p>\n
\u2022 support the green economy, being the economy of the future<\/p>\n
\u2022 invest resources and provide adequate support to existing and legitimate aspiring farmers, as well as qualifying new entrants to farming<\/p>\n
\u2022 prioritise the empowerment of rural women and young people through mentoring, support, and start-up micro-loans, using as a model the microloan system that has lifted millions of women out of poverty<\/p>\n
\u2022 strengthen youth service programmes and introduce community-based programmes to<\/p>\n
offer young people, especially marginalised young people, life-skills training, entrepreneurship training, along with opportunities to participate in community development programmes<\/p>\n
\u2022 invest in innovation necessary to turn our society from consumers into manufacturers<\/p>\n
\u2022 adopt Information and Communication Technology socio-economic development<\/p>\n
\u2022 seek to exploit South Africa\u2019s competitive advantage in the global supply chain<\/p>\n
\u2022 strengthen our productive base of manufacturing. mining on their land and that they are empowered to manage royalties properly for themselves and future generations<\/p>\n
\u2022 conduct a comprehensive audit on land ownership to help inform strategic and practical strategies on land reform, and<\/p>\n
\u2022 un-utilized state-owned land will be made available prioritising housing or agricultural purposes<\/p>\n
\u2022 hold discussion on land reform, restitution, market-based valuations, partnership schemes and land administration involving all role players ensuring that the best policies for different areas are designed<\/p>\n
\u2022 making FARMING Opportunities available for individuals to buy shares in commercial farming enterprises as part of a programme to broaden and diversify land ownership, enhance food production, as well as protect and share skills<\/p>\n
SOUTH AFRICA DESERVES A GOVERNMENT THAT CAN LEAD AND CREATE CONDITIONS FOR A WORLD CLASS EDUCATION SYSTEM<\/p>\n
SOUTH AFRICANS DESERVE A GOVERNMENT that ensures an overarching system of world class education that builds our learners to be globally competitive, is responsive to the socio-economic needs of society and prepares all citizens to be equal participants in the<\/p>\n
Information Society and Knowledge Economy with a culture of life-long learning. A COPE GOVERNMENT WILL:<\/p>\n
\u2022 set a benchmark for ICT literacy for educators and learners to empower them for e-learning<\/p>\n
\u2022 establish programmes to eliminate teenage pregnancies<\/p>\n
\u2022 provide for artisan programmes to be included in the curriculum<\/p>\n
\u2022 embark on a national literacy campaign<\/p>\n
\u2022 increase the minimum pass rate across all grades and support the enforcement of common low and does not adequately equip learners for what should constitute a minimum pass mark<\/p>\n
\u2022 support the exclusion of unions in the appointment and management of teachers at school level.<\/p>\n
Politically, we need to limit the role of unions, and free teaching from the demands of union members teaching profession, the teachers, and the learners<\/p>\n
\u2022 pay and promote teachers based on academic of establishing a professional civil service<\/p>\n
\u2022 lower the ratio of learners to teachers. This will improve the quality of education and also create more jobs for teachers<\/p>\n
\u2022 re-open teacher training colleges and FETs with special emphasis on critical subjects. Urgent intervention is needed in maths and science. South Africa ranks second-last in global standings.<\/p>\n
We must have greater emphasis on subjects like mathematics and science, as we have inadequate graduates in these subjects and this constrains economic growth<\/p>\n
\u2022 introduce a multi-disciplinary skills-based performance competency for all learners. Work ethic is another area where our education system is failing learners. Skills and competencies can be included in the Life Orientation \/ Life Skills curriculum to provide a learning curriculum<\/p>\n
\u2022 set up communication platforms to identify and develop marketable skills. This will ensure that the education system is responsive to the needs of the economy<\/p>\n
\u2022 ensure that Early Childhood Development (ECD) practitioners should be recognised as a part of the education system as a whole in full employ of the Department of Education<\/p>\n
\u2022 introduce Physical Education as a compulsory activity in all schools<\/p>\n
\u2022 place special emphasis on training and empowering School Government Bodies, (SGB) so that they can play a more meaningful and decisive role in the running of the school<\/p>\n
\u2022 important gap reduction<\/p>\n
\u2022 that every Municipality has an FET College<\/p>\n
\u2022 support the autonomy of Institutions of Higher Education<\/p>\n
SOUTH AFRICA DESERVES A GOVERNMENT THAT CAN LEAD AND CREATE CONDITIONS FOR QUALITY AND UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE – A COPE GOVERNMENT WILL:<\/p>\n
\u2022 support the provision and availability of universal healthcare<\/p>\n
\u2022 in the meantime, pay special attention to the improvement in the quality and affordability of health care taking into account the disparity in the provision of healthcare services between rural and urban areas, the rich and the poor and between the private and public sector<\/p>\n
\u2022 ensure that automated queuing systems are introduced at all health centres to prevent long lines<\/p>\n
\u2022 emphasis will be placed on preventative health care to ease the burden on health facilities;<\/p>\n
\u2022 appropriate remuneration of home-based care givers is addressed and that provision exists within<\/p>\n
the budget of the Department of Health for home-based care givers<\/p>\n
\u2022 hospitals should consider the feasibility of ordering medicine directly from suppliers at pre-approved<\/p>\n
prices to eliminate tender irregularities and abuse, and to cut out the middle-man, which adds to the cost of medicines<\/p>\n
\u2022 government clinics should be open 24 hours in designated areas to improve accessibility to health care to all communities<\/p>\n
\u2022 ambulance services should be prioritized and attached to clinics so that there are better response times to rural areas and informal settlements<\/p>\n
\u2022 professional managers are appointed to run health care facilities<\/p>\n
\u2022 ensure that traditional health practitioners are properly accredited and monitored with the primary aim of improving health care in rural areas and recognising indigenous knowledge systems<\/p>\n
\u2022 support the global movement to encourage the general availability and use of natural therapies, treatments or medicines among South Africans<\/p>\n
\u2022 ensure that indigenous knowledge systems are given space to develop further within the wider ambits of the health care system<\/p>\n
SOUTH AFRICA DESERVES A GOVERNMENT THAT CAN LEAD AND CREATE CONDITIONS FOR FIGHTING CRIME AND ENSURING SAFETY AND SECURITY FOR ALL – A COPE GOVERNMENT WILL:<\/p>\n
\u2022 ensure that the national and other police<\/p>\n
\u2022 depoliticise all the safety, security and intelligence services as part of establishing a professional civil service<\/p>\n
\u2022 review the Protection of State Information Bill (Secrecy Bill) so that it is not used to subvert the freedom of the press or to hide corruption or violate the rights of citizens<\/p>\n
\u2022 allocate resources to the police is standardised according to minimum criteria that will be established. We need to consider population density as well as crime trends in responding to the needs of the community well as performance<\/p>\n
\u2022 re-introduce specialised police units<\/p>\n
\u2022 have a specialised focus on sexual offences,<\/p>\n
\u2022 require that the Legal Aid Board to have stricter rules and regulations for deciding which cases are funded by the state<\/p>\n
\u2022 put in place a priority programme for maximum endangered wildlife species will be legislated sentence. Other serious offences already have a mandatory minimum sentence<\/p>\n
SOUTH AFRICA DESERVES A GOVERNMENT THAT CAN LEAD AND CREATE CONDITIONS FOR HUMAN SETTLEMENTS THAT ARE CONDUCIVE TO BUILDING SOCIAL COHESION – A COPE GOVERNMENT WILL:<\/p>\n
\u2022 identify land for settlement, will identify legitimate claimants, will provide serviced sites to empower people<\/p>\n
\u2022 ensure that community members who so wish are encouraged, empowered and supported, to build their own houses on serviced stands thus bring back pride in ownership, dignity and reduce massive housing corruption<\/p>\n
\u2022 ensure that a policy is in place to expand accessibility to housing with special attention being paid to the poorest, the youth, those in rural areas as well as those in urban informal settlements and the disabled<\/p>\n
SOUTH AFRICA DESERVES A GOVERNMENT THAT CAN LEAD AND CREATE CONDITIONS FOR ADVANCING THE AFRICAN AGENDA AND CREATING A BETTER WORLD – A COPE GOVERNMENT WILL: AS STATED IN 2009<\/p>\n
\u2022 continue to ensure that our country plays its role as a force for progressive change for a stronger South Africa, better Africa and more humane world based on a human rights culture<\/p>\n
\u2022 work with the SADC countries to expedite the process implementing the agreements already reached to progress regional integration, including addressing the challenges of poverty, peace, stability, democracy and human rights<\/p>\n
\u2022 work with all the countries of our Continent to accelerate the processes towards the development and Unity of Africa, including addressing the challenges of poverty, peace, stability, democracy and human rights and to promote trade between African countries<\/p>\n
\u2022 work globally with all like-minded countries to address such important global challenges as the reform of the United Nations and other institutions of global governance in the multilateral system, climate change, trans-national organised crime, and international terrorism<\/p>\n
\u2022 ensure, by our actions, that the renewal of Africa through the implementation of NEPAD, remains the centre-piece of our foreign policy and that our country continues to enjoy the respect of the<\/p>\n
African masses throughout Africa and the African Diaspora; and<\/p>\n
\u2022 work with fraternal parties for democracy, freedom of expression, press freedom and freedom of association and constitutionalism<\/p>\n
SOUTH AFRICA DESERVES A GOVERNMENT THAT CAN LEAD AND CREATE CONDITIONS FOR BUILDING A BETTER SOUTH AFRICA – A COPE GOVERNMENT WILL:<\/p>\n
IN 2009 WE SAID THAT WE WERE \u201cinspired by the vision shared by all our people, black and white, of the sense of history as we get a new opportunity to build anew a people-centred, caring and inclusive and common<\/p>\n
South African nation. Building a South Africa in which we all, equally, have rights and responsibilities. A South Africa to whose development we have individual and collective responsibility, for the sake of our future generations.<\/p>\n
WE ARE PROUD TO REPORT to South Africans today that we continue to be equally inspired by ordinary South Africans who do extra-ordinary deeds every day.<\/p>\n
IN OUR 2009 MAINFESTO WE SAID THAT \u201cCOPE will therefore support the emerging unity of all South Africans, sharing a common patriotism, and committed to combining their efforts to build the South Africa of our dreams, with special focus on the eradication of poverty and underdevelopment and of ensuring greater prosperity\u201d.<\/p>\n
WE ARE PROUD TO REPORT that we are implementing this noble ideal through our work with other South Africans within the Collective for Democracy where we have agreed on working together based on twenty points which we believe are a priority for our country,South Africa.<\/p>\n
IN 2009 WE SAID THAT SOUTH AFRICA NEEDED a government of the people and that there was a need to inspire South Africans to build a better South Africa.<\/p>\n
Today we are saying that SOUTH AFRICA DESERVES A BETTER GOVERNMENT<\/p>\n
Today we are reminding you that YOUR VOTE CAN DELIVER IT!<\/p>\n
Today we are asking you to see that YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU<\/p>\n
TODAY we are calling on you to SAVE SOUTH AFRICA. IN 2009 WE ASKED YOU, SOUTH AFRICANS, TO VOTE FOR COPE and be a part of history. We thank you for writing that page and we are making that call to you one more time. We ask you to VOTE FOR THE CONGRESS OF THE PEOPLE and turn a new page in the post democracy chapter of South Africa\u2019s history noting that this is the most important and historic election in our country since the dawn of our democracy 20 years ago.<\/p>\n
Party Leaders<\/p>\n
President: Mosiuoa \u201cTerror\u201d Lekota<\/p>\n
Mosiuoa Lekota grew up in Kroonstad, Free State.<\/p>\n
He was expelled from the University of the North due to his political involvement with the Student Representative Council and the Black Consciousness Movement. While the elected Permanent Organiser for the South African Students\u2019 Organisation (SASO), he was imprisoned on Robben Island in 1974. Following his release in 1983, he was one of the defendants in the 1985 Delmas Treason Trial and imprisoned for four more years.<\/p>\n
President Lekota has served as the premier of the Free State, the chairperson of the National Council of Provinces and Minister of Defence. He is fluent in six of the 11 official languages (Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana, Afrikaans and English).<\/p>\n
Follow him on Twitter \u2013 @TerrorLekota<\/a><\/p>\n Deputy President: Willie Mothipa Madisha<\/p>\n William Mothipa \u201cWillie\u201d Madisha grew up in Atteridgeville, Pretoria.<\/p>\n He studied teaching at the Transvaal College of Education and served as the President of the South African Democratic Teachers Union for 12 years (1996-2008). He also served as President of the Congress of South African Trade Unions from 1999-2008.<\/p>\n Deputy President Madisha continues to work for the realisation of workers\u2019 rights.<\/p>\n Find him on Twitter \u2013 @williemadisha<\/a><\/p>\n National Chairperson: Pakes Dikgetsi<\/p>\n Pakes Dikgetsi is a lifelong resident of Kimberley, Northern Cape.<\/p>\n He has served as a Member of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature since 1994. National Chairperson Dikgetsi is a former Member of the Executive Council for Finance, as well as Local Governance. He holds a master\u2019s degree in local government, and a certificate in executive management.<\/p>\n The National Chairperson is a community politician, and has played a vital role in establishing various media and civil society organisations in his province. He continues to play an active role in his community.<\/p>\n