Frans Cronje, CEO of the IRR, puts seven questions to the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) ahead of the 8 May election.
Question 1:
Your party has been on the political scene for a long time with several members of Parliament, yet your impact on the political landscape has been limited. Why should voters give you a chance this election?
We don’t see our impact as limited. We were the first party to submit a Private Member’s Bill in South Africa. It was in KwaZulu-Natal and was supported by the legislature unanimously and sent to the NCOP as the first proposed national legislation to come from a province. It proposed a sex offenders’ register. The ACDP then became the first opposition party to have a Private Member’s Bill passed, which was family-friendly legislation giving new fathers parental leave.
On issues which concern our supporters, such as reasonable family discipline, we have been able to moderate the Children’s Act. We have had a disproportionately large voice in the justice committee due to the excellent knowledge and performance of our MP. We have proposed restorative justice as a policy, which was adopted for youth by the ANC.
We were instrumental in getting post-exposure prophylaxis for rape victims to prevent HIV infection in KwaZulu-Natal .We participated effectively and added legal value in the SABC and Eskom enquiries. We have consistently supported home-schooling and independent schooling, giving committees relevant information and access to information. We succeeded in making it compulsory for authorities to respond to reports regarding street children and to prioritise their safety. Also, successfully making smoking in cars with children illegal.
These are just a very few achievements, many done by reasonable negotiation. We often succeed as we are respected and trusted by other parties.
Question 2:
Famously the ACDP was the only party to vote against the adoption of the final version of the South African constitution. Have you changed your stance on the constitution or do you stand by that rejection?
We have issues with some rights being given more importance than others. We believe the right to life begins at conception and that reproductive rights should not supersede the right to life, as one example. Another is that sexual orientation should not supersede religious rights. This is a matter of interpretation. We have sworn to uphold the constitution in every subsequent parliament.
Question 3:
Your party identifies itself as explicitly Christian and guided by the Bible. Whilst Christians are the largest religious group in the country, we have large religious minorities and huge diversity within the Christian community itself, with that in mind is there a place for non-Christian South Africans in a South Africa governed by the ACDP?
Absolutely. ACDP’s founding statement has freedom of religion as one of its foundational principles. The ACDP would never force Christianity on anyone nor prevent people from practising their own religion.
Question 4:
Your Party has formed coalitions with the DA and has worked with the EFF to elect governments in Johannesburg, Tshwane and Nelson Mandela Bay. What value has the ACDP added to these coalitions? Why shouldn’t an anti-ANC voter support the DA or EFF?
Our councillors have been exceptional performers; within 3 months of taking office in Johannesburg, the MMC of housing had handed out 600 title deeds. Our councillor in Tshwane was MMC for Policing and twice won awards for best metro policing department. He gave up a position as a CEO of a JSE-listed company to serve the city of Tshwane. The Provincial MEC left the provincial department in his hands for a week. He has acted as mayor many times. The ACDP has added value. Coalitions are also very accountable forms of government. We govern by negotiation and everybody keeps an eye on everyone else.
Question 5:
The ACDP had its best ever election in 2004 where it scored both its highest percentage of the vote and its highest number of votes, however, since 2004 the ACDP has lost both votes and vote share, why is this?
We consulted a political analyst and various other experts after our losses in 2009.One of the problems was the polarisation caused by the Zuma/Zille campaigns, which completely polarised South Africans. The DA has continued with their campaign to have a two-party Westminster-type system by continuously campaigning against small parties. This has hurt all of us and is absolutely undemocratic. The IEC has allowed this to continue despite their peddling lies such as ‘don’t split the vote’, which is not possible in a PR system.
The worst factor was floor crossing. Our supporters felt utterly betrayed; no-one expected it to happen to the ACDP, including the leaders of the party. We have not managed to appeal to voters in the same way since then.
The good news is that we have embarked on a successful turnaround strategy. In the 2016 local government election, we focused on fewer areas and had a credible message about being an honest broker in coalition governments. This has been successful and has raised the party’s profile along with a higher media exposure. Subsequent by-elections have proved the success of this strategy where we have raised our support from 1% to 13 %, 8% and 20% in various areas.
Question 6:
ACDP policy commits you to a free market approach to the economy, however, the Capitalist Party and the Freedom Front Plus also claim to support these economic policies. Why should someone who supports free markets vote for the ACDP rather than those other parties?
The ACDP recognises that there is a serious legacy of disadvantage that still keeps our people in a cycle of poverty. Free-market policy can create a growing economy. ACDP also believes that there has to be an urgent intervention in education starting with early stimulation and intervention for young children. One of our policies is to encourage every school to open a crèche as well as an early childhood education centre. We would implement a world-class education system such as the Cambridge system. We must focus on removing the barriers that prevent people from flourishing. The free market economy is only one part of a complex equation.
Question 7:
What issue do you believe is not discussed enough in South Africa’s political space?
There are two issues that are not discussed often enough.
The first is inequality in the justice system. The ACDP is tough on crime, but we also believe that everyone is equal before the law and the poor deserve the same defence as the rich.
The second issue is the environment, which is not considered important despite its impact on the poor. The degradation of mining and acid mine drainage is one example, climate change is another, yet we hardly consider renewable energy as a viable option.
*The ZACP, DA and ANC also received questionnaires. Answers from the ZACP were published here. The DA declined to answer the questions the IRR sent to it – you can read them, and the IRR comments, here. The ANC has yet to provide answers. A questionnaire will also be sent to FF+.
Frans Cronjé is the CEO of the Institute of Race Relations
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