Name of Party: National Freedom Party Year Launched: 2011
Party Leader: Zanele kaMagwaza-Msibi
What it believes: The party believes that all South Africans should be given the opportunity and means to achieve political and economic freedom through transparent and accountable democratic processes.
Previous notable leaders: kaMagwaza-Msibi has been the party leader since its inception.
History in a nutshell: In 2006 kaMagwaza Msibi was elected unopposed as the IFP Deputy National Chairperson. She and other members quit the IFP party in 2011 and formed the National Freedom Party in Durban. The party had a decent start to political life. In the 2011 municipal election the NFP received 2.4% of the votes cast in South Africa and 10.4% of the votes cast in KZN.
Praised for: For a brief period, the NFP appeared to hold some sway with a small portion of the KZN electorate.
Damned for: The party was disqualified from participating in the 2016 municipal election as it had failed to pay the election fee to the Independent Electoral Commission.
Party icons:Leader: Zanele kaMagwazi Msibi, NFP KZN Chairperson VR Moltshwa
The NFP’s position on 10 hot button issues:
LAND: The party believes that the current pace of land reform is inadequate and is contributing to growing dissatisfaction amongst many South Africans who have expectations of equitable access to land in the country of their birth. The NFP says obstacles to fair and meaningful land reform such as the ‘willingbuyer willing seller principle has failed due to unnecessary bureaucracy corruption surrounding the process of land restitution and a general lack in following procedures in the execution of land claims and land reform programmes of the State. In addressing land reform the party believes that it is important to take into consideration the historical injustice inherent in our current pattern of land ownership and usage but that it is also important to consider the modern requirements and demands of land ownership and usage.
CORRUPTION: The party wants to fight and eradicate all forms and instances of corruption from all levels of government without fear or favour. It is in favour of establishing a dedicated Corruption Task team with independent prosecutorial powers and status similar to Chapter 9 institutions to exclusively investigate and act upon both government and private sector related corruption. It also wants to prioritise the development of a comprehensive code of conduct and performance management framework that will ensure collective performance and accountability of all public servants and representatives.
STATE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT: The NFP wants to ensure that all District municipalities have an office dedicated to deal with all taxi related issues such as applications for operations permits and localised conflict dispute resolution mechanism and to explore ways to expand the public transport infrastructure with the least costs to the state and the most benefit for the majority of people rather than the state pouring vast resources into the upkeep of parastatal institutions which are competing economically with the private sector.
GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE: The party wants to call for a referendum on the death penalty for instances of rape and murder of women and children and to create community based safe houses for abused women and children for elderly women who are in need of physical security and care and for newly orphaned children.
ENVIRONMENT: The party last year said the Public Protector should be called in to investigate the water crisis in Cape Town and the Western Cape and demanded government play a bigger role in solving the crisis.
STATE OF THE SOEs: The NFP believes that the answer to improved service delivery lies in decentralizing the planning and implementation of community development to local municipal level for it is there where people suffer the consequences of inadequate governance.
FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: The party wants the basic education curriculum to be biased towards maths and science to ensure that learners are better suited to enrol for higher education after completing grade 12 and generally to prepare them for entry into the labour market.
CRIME: The party encourages the increased formation and expansion Community Policing Forums (CPFs) in urban areas and make funding available to assist CPFs in the execution of their tasks. It wants to draw on the broader community for reservists and volunteers to assist in offices with a view of enhancing police visibility in urban areas, and to ensure that reservists who qualify are absorbed into the formal structures of the SAPS after 24 months of proven service.
SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: The past years of democracy has seen sub-standard economic growth in South Africa a steady increase in job losses on a year by year basis as well as increased unemployment and a seeping increase in poverty of the general population despite the spectacular economic enrichment of a select connected few. The National Freedom Party in its quest for the attainment of an equitable and just social democratic society for all acknowledges the responsibility of the state to provide for the well being of its citizens and to create economic growth and wealth for the benefit of society. The current obstacles to economic development and lack of coherent planning needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency and will require a firm commitment to economic growth by government the private sector and labour.
HOUSING: The party wants to consult with the people listen to their suggestions and be accountable to the people for the planning and implementation of housing. It wants to expand and accelerate the state’s obligation to provide decent housing with, at minimum, running water, electricity and an inside toilet and to phase out informal settlements and replace them with serviced sites which will be made available for ownership where people can build homes themselves.
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