Lerato Mbhiza
Addressing the party’s first manifesto at Heartfelt Arena in Pretoria on Saturday, RISE Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi told his followers that he will not let the country go to the dogs while they are all still breathing.
Jobs, education, land, food, subsidies, securing borders, ending corruption, crime and inequality were among the key factors that the RISE Mzansi manifesto promised to South Africans ahead of the 2024 National General Elections.
The party is preparing to embark on its first national elections after it was founded nine months ago.
Zibi said they would fight day and night to restore people’s dignity and ensure that they benefit from the government.
“We will fight for land with piped water for those who want to grow their food or to build their own home; discounts on selected foods for SASSA grant recipients, and job seekers grant for those who are looking for work but have no means to do so,” he said.
Zibi also accused political parties of using the country’s land question to garner votes.
He said people who do not have land should be treated equally regardless of their race.
“We cannot undo colonialism and apartheid because it has already happened, but what we can do is change the future and all of us involved in politics, whether black or white, can make a common commitment to end landlessness, to have spatial justice, to use all available legal and constitutional instruments to ensure justice is delivered. This includes lawful expropriation, the same way we do when we want to build a dam, a road, or a mine.”
RISE Mzansi said it plans to place an additional one-million young people in training in the next five years and ramp up support for small businesses.
Other interventions include transforming Eskom and Transnet, whose problems are currently hampering the country’s economic growth.
He added that his party will invest significant resources in fighting crime as businesses cannot operate when people are getting robbed every day and foreign investors stay away.
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