Cape Town - The Multi-Party Charter - a coalition of political parties across the country – met on Wednesday to unveil what they called a plan to combat crime, corruption and drugs.
The charter consists of 11 political parties, including the DA, ActionSA, Inkatha Freedom Party, ACDP and others, formed specifically for the elections to kick out the ANC.
The parties met at the Mfuleni police station yesterday to table a plan they believed would transform the criminal justice system.
They said the plan focused on four priorities – professionalising the police service, improving the criminal justice system, addressing the nation’s drug problem, and tackling corruption and state capture.
“A charter government will make it a priority to hold all criminals to account and prevent future crime by addressing its root causes,” the charter members jointly said.
“Through a focused, evidence-based strategy, we will build a safer future for all South Africans. We will be tough on crime and even tougher on the causes of crime to protect people, property and infrastructure while deterring anti-social behaviour and the abuse of power.”
Among others, the charter said it would appoint police leadership on merit and improve the training and capacity of police officers, the detective services and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation.
It said it would promote the establishment of municipal police services and prioritise the SAPS budget towards critical functions such as public order and visible policing.
“Ensure that policing forums are well-resourced and create additional specialised law enforcement units to boost local community policing efforts.
“These will be aimed at gangs and criminal syndicates who terrorise communities.”
During the unveiling, ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba accused the ANC government of failing the people of South Africa.
He said he personally didn’t trust the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
“We as MPC have all agreed that crime is out of order in South Africa; the country is known all over the world as a murder capital.
“Citizens have even come to a point where they don’t even open cases anymore because of the slow response of our justice system to handling crime.
“We have international drug cartels that have made South Africa their playground,” said Mashaba.
Mashaba said the country needed to establish police units that were dedicated to fighting crime.
Speaking on the firing of an IEC official for leaking party candidate lists, Mashaba said: “In my own experience with the IEC, I myself came to a point of not even trusting the commission.