Is this for peace or for a piece

DARREN BERGMAN (DA)

DARREN BERGMAN, COUNCILLOR FOR WARD 32 (CITY OF JOHANNESBURG), CHAIRMAN: POLICY AND STRATEGY COMMITTEE (DA JHB)

Western Cape ANC leader, Marius Fransman, is billed as an ANC heavyweight with a mandate to deliver the Western Cape back to the ANC. We have witnessed attempts, threats and actions by the ruling party to ensure chaos exists in the Western Cape.

With the Cape Town Conference, Messrs Fransman, Ebrahim Ebrahims et al, must be laughing all the way to the polls. In their opinion they have set the cat among the pigeons in the Western Cape and now they just need to sit back and watch what transpires.

The Gauteng chapter is just a bonus to them of course. It must be noted that this really became an issue when a political commentator begged the question in Business Day as to whether the DA had changed its stance or not.

Immediately the spotlight fell on the Democratic Alliance and the ACDP. It seemed the public wanted questions and answers before a proper investigation could take place. I wondered why the ANC had not featured in this.

So it came to pass like an accountable party should behave, we used the mediums of Internet, radio and the media, to reiterate our position and set people’s mind at ease that the DA had not abandoned its principles, but simply had a representative at the conference that went rogue. 

Some might argue we were slow, some might argue the response is not what they wanted, but we did respond.

I questioned the validity of the (Cape Town Declaration) resolutions when I read point 10:

All South African political parties should clearly communicate their stance on the plight of the Palestinian people and make it timeously known in the build-up to 2014 elections.

Surely our elections should be around service delivery to our country first and what parties can offer to the people of its own country? One loses moral ground when one brings local elections and the time frames into what could become resolutions of a debate on foreign affairs.

In fact one is justified in questioning why this is labelled the Cape Town Declaration and being introduced now on the premise that this is what President Jacob Zuma called for in his 2010 speech. I don’t think e-tolls or the Protection of State Information Bill were bulldozed with such alacrity.

The Democratic Alliance is not a Jewish or a Muslim party and not a Zionist party or anti-Zionist. It is a secular party that enjoys the support and involvement of supporters, members and public representatives that may be Jewish, Muslim, Zionist or anti-Zionist in culture or belief.

Based on tenure and the length of the existence of our policies, I offer to add that this is a comfortable existence within the party. We believe in the legacy of Madiba in the sense that we embrace cultural diversity and wish for world peace.

Our foreign affairs policy is accepted and promoted as a sincere end to the crisis in the Middle East with a sustainable and fair negotiation process that brings about a two-state solution where both parties respect the rights of each other to exist and an end to all acts of violence against one another.

This is not limited to the Middle East, but where any foreign atrocities exist, including genocide and other war crimes. Surely all parties in South-Africa would feel this way?

If there are no other motives but a sincere intention of muscling in on world matters, then surely NGOs and other entities that exist with an opposing view should feel free to question the parties and have their concerns noted.

Better yet, surely these groups could be interviewed meticulously in a public hearing or make written submissions before such a conference takes place? Surely it would be in the Government’s best interest to showcase our biggest asset – cultural diversity as a success and do everything in its power to keep it from becoming one of our biggest failures.

Government has a responsibility to ensure the rights of all its citizens and to ensure it is beyond reproach.

If this is not the case, one needs to take a more curious approach to the whole matter and question the motive of introducing the conference at this time with the insistence of such resolutions.

Before rushed conclusions are created, I humbly urge people to take this election seriously. Look at what the parties promise and what they can deliver and make your choice based on that which appeals to you.

Parties need to respect your vote and never take it for granted or get complacent with it. Remember you are not the pawn, you are king.