Political Parties in South Africa

Political Parties in South Africa Abgenia Rivoningo Hlophe Unravelling the Political Ideologies Associated With ANC, DA and AGANG. South Africa is constituted by three main parties at the forefront of the political spectrum, namely: The African Nation Congress (ANC), The Democratic Alliance (DA) and Agang. These political parties have formed their policies based on ideologies and principles which they believe will make South Africa a more successful country. It is incumbent upon one, as a citizen of the republic, to analyze the ideologies associated with each of the aforementioned parties. In an effort to address the analysis thoroughly, this essay will closely evaluate the political ideologies associated the ANC, the DA and Agang respectively. Foremost, to adequately comprehend the nature of the ideologies upheld by the ANC, DA and Agang, one must begin by understanding the concept of political ideology itself. Renowned author Andrew Heywood defines ideology as â€Å"a social-scientific viewpoint, an ideology is a more or less coherent set of ideas that provides a basis for organized political action†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2013:28). As it apparent in Heywood’s explanation of ideology, there is a close relation between the ideology of a political party and its actions. This relation will be evident in the party’s policies on matters ranging from service delivery to economic growth as well as building alliances. When the first democratic constitution of South Africa was set out in 1996, Section 19 clearly highlighted that any party that sets out to run for political office, must not infringe on the rights and freedom of the citizens of the country (Parliament South Africa, 2008). Primarily, this is a liberal ideological perspective. Specifically because liberalism views the individual as the most important element in society, thus stipulating that the freedom of the individual far exceeds the need for authority and control (Heywood, 2013: 32). Interestingly, one can note that all the political parties to be discussed display liberalism in their manifestos and policies. It must be observed that Liberalism will be an inherent ideology in light of these three political parties. The African National Congress (ANC)’s ideological stance As the Liberation movement that rose to ruling party, the ANC boasts on having conquered the struggle for the individual’s freedom from oppressive laws. They are fundamentally a liberal party even though they also portray socialist ideals. The ANC displays the main elements of Liberalism which Heywood lists as individualism, freedom, reason, equality, toleration, consent and constitutionalism. Apart for being the first Democratic Party, ANC takes pride in having been under the leadership of the father of freedom himself, Former President Nelson Mandela in 1994.Nelson Mandela, and the ANC at large believe in freedom to a great extent, this is evident in the historic event of Mandela’s imprisonment on Robben Island. Furthermore, the ANC asserts a necessity to uplift the individual through its programs such as the Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) law that aims to place previously disadvantaged individuals in a position of management. They also promise to ensure a better life for the individual by creating 6 million jobs by 2019 so that each person can be able to fend for themselves (ANC, 2014) Another aspect is that they are attempting to provide equality of opportunity through opening a gap in the entrepreneurial sphere by ensuring that 75% of goods and service used by business and industry are bought within the South African manufacturing sphere (ANC, 2014). That way, each individual, regardless of background can be involved in the economic sphere. The introduction of free public education ensures an equality of opportunity for all citizens. Furthermore, the ANC outlined in their manifesto that they are â€Å"to work with [their] allies and the people to move South Africa forward†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (ANC, 2014). With the reasoning that an institution’s allies not only fund, but also influence its manner of governance, the ANC’s liberalism can further be accentuated by its alliance with the United States (US) leader of the Liberalist party – Barack Obama. In his visit to South Africa (SA) during 2012 and again in July 2013, the trade and investment opportunities between SA and the US were corroborated, resulting in an R7bn agreement towards renewable energy and a leadership program for the youth (News24, 2013). The ANC is also a socialist party. This ideology is characterized by six main issues which are community, fraternity, social equality, need, social class and common ownership (Heywood, 2013: 39). In layman’s terms, socialism involves economic efforts aimed at a group, specifically the entire populace of a country not individuals. ANC’s socialist ideas are revealed through their continuous emphasis on collaborative efforts towards community upliftment. In the National Development Plan (NDP), the main aim is to reduce the levels of poverty in South Africa (ANC, 2014). There are programs put in place such as the food for all programme, which aims to feed the people in poor communities, the National Health Insurance to provide free basic healthcare, HIV/AIDS programmes (Butler, 2008). All these ideals by their ANC align with their foundational principles to create a better South Africa for all those who live in it as a brotherhood, as stated by the Freedom Charter of 1955 (South African History,2005). The Democratic Alliance (DA) and its ideological stance As it was unequivocally expressed when the party was formed, the DA is a liberalist party. In the framework for their manifesto, DA places much emphasis on an effective form of governance which, although limit, will ensure a better life for the individuals of South Africa. Since standing as the Western Cape Minister in 2009, The DA has become a member of the Liberal International and the Africa Liberal Network, which are both have formed with the intention to persuade and propose Liberal principles so that they prevail (DA Abroad, 2011). The DA strives to achieve a limited amount of interference by the government, which is a crucial component of liberalism (DA, 2013). This will promote the freedom of the individual above all other entities. They are a party that brings to the attention of the citizens, the flaws of government and regard this as a way to encourage people to give consent in issues that pertain to their government. Stated in their policy is that there should be â€Å"a limited number of political appointments† (DA, 2013). Which comes as a response to the fact that, much of government expenditure that could be used on citizen, is dedicated towards paying salaries of the 11151 executive members of government under the ANC (South African Reserve Bank, 2013). In an effort to promote equal opportunity, the DA has suggested measures such as putting in place an oversight committee to help reduce corruption and increase accountability to the people (DA, 2013). Also, they will start graduate recruitment programmes to help create opportunities for young people regardless of background and social standing. The apparent strong leadership by women within the political party comes to represent their feminist views. Feminism promotes gender equality. The mere fact that the DA is led by women in parliament namely Lindiwe Mazibuko, as well in office by Helen Zille becomes indicative of a feminist views of the party. AGANG and its ideological stance. On February 12 2013, South African politics witnessed the birth a new political party platform by esteemed academic and activist Dr. Mamphele Ramphele. From its birth, Agang showed Liberal intent. In her launch speech, Ramphele urged South African individual to work in conjunction with the government they have elected to â€Å"build the nation of our dreams† (Independent News, 2013) Being an academic herself, Ramphele appealed to all South African’s on the basis of reason, which is a deliberate liberal persuasion. She says â€Å"our rallying cry during the struggle for freedom was for the people to govern† showing that she recognizes the individual as being the one to give consent to government in how the country should be governed. In conjunction with that, she laments the fact that the greatest number of people who are unemployed, of the 60percent, the majority is youth. It is further suggested that opportunity for education should be created for all people by radically altering the education system. That can be done through the introduction of higher pass rates, eradication of mud schools and improvement of infrastructure (Agang SA, 2014) The empowerment of the individual is suggested through the plans to create incentives for companies who invest in rural communities, changing the tax system to favor entrepreneurship (Agang SA, 2014) Ultimately, Agang is purely liberal and classically appeals to the reason, consent and freedom of the individual while working with the government. In retrospect, the African National Congress (ANC), Democratic Alliance and Agang have great similarities in their approach to politics, all which are justified in terms of the constitution. The variation then exists in the implementation of their ideology when drafting policies. Thus, this solidifies the paramount importance of ideologies in a position of power. Proving that even though, it is all but a matter of perspective, whether it being liberal, socialist or capitalist, ideologies are the foundation of any political action by the ANC, DA and Agang. Bibliography Heywood, A. 2013. Politics. United Kingdom: Palgrave Macmillian. Butler, A.2005. How Democratic is the African National Congress? Journal of Southern African Studies Volume 31 (No. 4) : pp. 719 -736. Rowland C. Jones J. Recasting the American Dream: Barack Obama keynote address to the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Quarterly Journal of speech Volume 93 (No. 4): pp 238 – 250. ANC. 2014. ANC [online] Available from www.anc.org.za/list.php?t=Manifesto [ Accessed; 13 February 2014] Kondile, K. (2013) ANC: Obama visit strengthened US- SA ties. News24. [online] 01 July. Available from www.news24.com/SouthAfrica//ANC-Obama-visit-strengthened-US-SA. [ Accessed: 15 February 2014] South African History organization. 2005. [online] Available from www.sahistory.org.za [Accessed: 18 February 2013] South African Parliament. 2005.[online] Available from www.parliament.gov.za Democratic Alliance SA. 2014. [online] Available from www.da.org.za. [Accessed: 16 February 2014] South African reserve Bank. 2013. â€Å"Government finance statistics of South Africa; 1994 – 2013.† [online]. Available from www.resbank.co.za [Accessed: 18 February 2014] Independent Newspaper. (2013). Mamphele Ramphele full launch speech. Independent newspaper [online] 18 Feb 2013 15:44. Available from www. Independentnews.co.za [accessed; 18 February 2013] Agang SA. 2014. Policy. [online] Available from www.agangsa.org.za [Accessed; 18 February 2014] 1

Poets’ Childhood Relationships with Their Fathers Essays -- literary A

Modern poets often reflect back on their childhood relationships with their fathers. Some poets see their fathers with a new found appreciation, some may look at them with acceptance, and still others are trying to move past the emotional grip a father may have had on them. Some poets see their father with a new found appreciation. For example, in Robert Hayden’s â€Å"Those Winter Sundays,† the narrator expresses his appreciation for his father when he poses the question: â€Å"What did I know, what did I know / of love’s austere and lonely offices?† (Hayden 13-14). As a child, it is hard to gain an appreciation for one’s father because one does not think about how much a father does for his child. When the speaker grows older, he reflects on his childhood and realizes how much his father has done for him. Everything that the father did for his son and family was done out of love, and the father did not gain any recognition at all. One example of the father helping his family is when he builds the fires to keep the household warm: Sundays too my father got up early / and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold / then with cracked hands that ached / from labor in the weekday weather made / banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him. (Hayden 1-6) The first line explains how on Sundays his father got up early. Sundays were known as a day of rest, but the father still got up and continued to work hard even though he did not have to. Line two simply states how cold it was outside, the word blueblack meaning that it was still dark outside. Lines three through five explain how the father had sore hands from working in the extremely cold weather making the fires and how nobody had ever thanked him for doing this. Another example of... ...the death of her husband and father, she finally decides to move on and forget about her husband and father completely. She succeeds in doing so for awhile, but five months after writing the poem, the speaker commits suicide, leading the reader to believe that she had some sort of a mental issue and was never able to completely, like she thought she would be able to. It is sad that the narrator had such a hard time moving on and was majorly depressed, but sometimes it is better to move on life and not dwell on the past. Consequently, some poets may see their fathers with a new found appreciation, some may look at them with acceptance, and still others are trying to move past the emotional grip a father may have had on them. Although each poet had a different childhood relationship and different viewpoint of his or her father, they all loved their fathers deeply.

Nikola Tesla Essay -- essays papers

Nikola Tesla My great grandmother was born on September 30, 1895 in Strum, Wisconsin, and used to tell us the most important invention for the home, in her lifetime, was the clothes washing machine. Now history always seems to make the present era seem more civilized, when in fact, it is probably only cleaner, thanks to my grandmother's favorite invention. But, I wonder if it is easier. Certainly, there were many patents issued in the 1880's for inventions that truly would change the lives of future generations, and a handful of these amazing contrivances would have a great impact on that which is truly important to an industrialized nation: the machinery that speeds business, business being the true backbone of a country, but to a country girl whose family depended on farming, the clothes washing machine still stands out as the one that saved her the most time. So this essay will delve into the era of the 1880's and focus on one of the most important inventors that ever lived, Nikola Tesla. Many business machines were patented before Nikola Tesla patented the alternating-current "electromagnetic motor" in 1888 (while the popular Thomas Edison was stubbornly clinging to direct-current motors), but soon more and more inventors were realizing this new source of harnessed power could bring glorious miracles to business, thus providing them with even more glorious profits. But first, the washing machine, truly in honor of my great grandmother, who will be 105 years old this year. Before the days of washing machines, people got dirt out of their clothes by pounding them on rocks and washing the dirt away in streams. Sand was used as an abrasive to free the dirt. Soap was discovered at Rome's Sapo Hill where ashes containing the fat of sacrificial animals were found to have good cleaning powers. The earliest washing "machine" - the scrub board - was invented in 1797. In 1874 William Blackstone, a Bluffton, Indiana merchant and manufacturer of corn planters, built a birthday present for his wife. It was a machine that removed and washed away dirt from clothes. It consisted of a wooden tub in which there was a flat piece of wood containing six small wooden pegs. The inner mechanism looked something like a small milking stool. It was moved back and forth by means of a handle and an arrangement of gears. Dirty clothes were snagged on the wooden pegs an... ...ed to place his untested theories into countless notebooks. The man who invented the modern world died nearly penniless at age 86 on January 7, 1943. More than two thousand people attended his funeral. In his lifetime, Tesla received over 800 different patents. He probably would have exceeded Edison's record number if he wasn't always broke - he could afford very few patent applications during the last thirty years of his life. Unlike Edison, Tesla was an original thinker whose ideas typically had no precedent in science. Unfortunately, the world does not financially reward people of Tesla's originality. We only award those that take these concepts and turn them into a refined, useful product. Bibliography: Cheney, Margaret, Tesla: Man Out of Time (Dell Publishing, 1981) Tesla, N., Electrical Experiment (1919) Tesla, N., The Strange Life of Nikola Tesla (unknown publishing date or place used) Book actually red on web page:www.neuronet.pitt.edu/~biodam/tesla/tesla.pdf www.neuronet.pitt.edu/~bogdam/tesla/bio.thm www.neuronet.pitt.edu/~bogdam/tesla/chicago.htm www.neuronet.pitt.edu/~bogdam//tesla/niagara.htm www.neuronet.pitt.edu/~biodam/tesla/tesla.pdf

The Hard Part of Breaking Up

Its hard to break up with someone. You never know how that person is going to act or say once you tell them why you are breaking up with him or her. There’s never a good way to break up with someone. But if there’s problems in the relationship you have to point them out if not things will never get better. There are three reasons for break ups: falling out of love with that person, cheating, or they were never happy together. One of the reasons why people choose to end their relationship is because they fell out of love with their partner.Some people say that love never dies but it fades once a person realizes what is missing in their relationship. Nobody ever wants to leave their true love but when your tired of trying to fix things or spark up the relationship and nothing seems to work then that’s when you have to let him or her go. Other people just aren’t in love with that person anymore . I hear this all the time â€Å"I love him or her but I’ m not in love with him or her†. I never really get that its either you are in love with that person or you aren’t.Another reason for break ups is cheating. Some people say the reason for cheating is that he or she isn’t taking care of my wants and needs. But when you actually realize it people cheat just to cheat they never have a reason to why they do it they love doing it. I don’t think cheating is right at all. That’s just showing people what type of person you are and should want people to see that side of you. People should always be faithful in their relationships. You shouldn’t want to cheat on your girlfriend or boyfriend.The last reason why break ups happen is because the couple was never happy together. Maybe at a point in their relationship they were happy but everything little thing is an argument. Even when they still try to go out and have a good time it always ends in an argument about stupid things. So they decide to go their separate ways and see other people but when I hear what some people go through in a relationship, I say to talk things out before actually breaking up but when they say they’re tired of it and their done there’s nothing you can really do at that point.But when your not happy together think of what made you happy at the beginning of your relationship to see if you can bring that happiness back. You never want to end a relationship especially if you have been together for years. That’s something you never want to let go but when its time you have to let him or her go. You always want to at least let that person know you still care about them.

Of the Dawn of Freedom Essay

In â€Å"Of the Dawn of Freedom,† author W. B. Du Bois (1903) points out the historical basis for the persistence of racism as a problem. Written almost three decades after the civil war, the text is addressed to both African-American and White people who comfort themselves with the illusion that the granting of the right of suffrage to African-Americans instantly solved the problems of inequality. This is evident in how Du Bois illustrates that contrary to popular perception, the Civil War did not totally lead to the emancipation of African-Americans and that the subsequent â€Å"Negro suffrage ended a civil war by beginning a race feud† (34) wherein African-Americans became the subject of contempt of Southern White populations who fought against the abolition of slavery. Indeed, Du Bois’ observations accurately mirror the situation of African-Americans until today. Clearly, African-Americans are still subjected to deeply-held stereotypes that systematically degrade and debase them on the basis of what Du Bois calls â€Å"the color-line. (9) Despite the abolition of slavery, African-Americans continued to be socially-marginalized. Consequently, African-American’s situation as â€Å"a segregated servile caste† (37) after slavery was abolished only resulted in the formation of a double consciousness or an identity confusion owing to the lack of their clear role in society and their alienation from the dominant White culture. In effect, the abolition of slavery also uprooted both African-Americans and White Americans from the customs and clear norms that arose from centuries of slavery. Without the delineations of the slave order, African-Americans found it difficult to establish their identity especially as the White Americans did not want to accommodate the ex-slaves into the folds of society. It is therefore not surprising that African-Americans continue to be subjected to racist perceptions. As Du Bois rightly points out, the freedom of the Black Americans was immature in so far as the Whites regarded them not as their equals but looked condescendingly at the newly-freed Black people as their inferiors and â€Å"helpless wards. †(34)

Becoming a Captain

The Cheerleading Captain plays a very important role on the team. The captain’s experience, attitude, and ability to effectively communicate information effects the team’s success. I believe that I would make a great captain because I possess all of these skills. I am an experienced cheerleader. I have been on the Varsity team for two years. You have taught me what it takes to be on a winning team. It takes hard work, perseverance, never quitting, and a lot of practice. This is invaluable experience for a captain. Also, I have had the privilege of serving as co-captain this past season.This has given me confidence in calling cheers and taught me how to get the whole team’s attention. I have represented Cheer in multiple news interviews. I did not feel very comfortable doing the interviews at first, but this experience has thought me how to represent our squad to the community. Lastly, my two years of cheer combined with four years of all-star competitive cheer ha s allowed me to acquire a solid stunting skill set. I am an excellent second base, and I know how to help other bases in a stunt group so that the flyer can have a stable transition.This knowledge and experience will allow me to teach others if needed. Should you select me as captain I will continue to work on my skills because a captain leads by example. A positive attitude is absolutely required from a captain. And, I have a positive attitude. I will confess there are mornings when I am tired or my body is sore but I show up at the gym on time and begin rolling out the mats, and never complain. This is important because if one person has a negative attitude about something it seems to spread like a virus.A positive leadership attitude is essential to correcting others and motiving those who are slacking. I feel comfortable calling a team member out and telling them what they do not want to hear (but need to hear) if that is what it takes to make our squad better. And, I am quick t o compliment and encourage teammates when I see them doing something good. I have a positive leadership attitude and others respect me because not only do I lead, but I also work just as hard to correct myself when needed. Effective communication skills are essential for a captain.I am organized and detailed which are two necessary characteristics for a good communicator. These are natural characteristics for me that would make it easy as a captain to communicate information to all my team members. Timely and correct information is vital when there are scheduling, uniform, and/or time changes, etc. You and I have a good relationship and communicate well with each other, this will allow us to easily work together. I am good at both text messaging and emailing. No team member would have the excuse of having the wrong information if I was captain.If you select me your Varsity Cheer Captain, I will never think or act like I am above your rules or any of the policies or procedures of â⠂¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ High School. I will be a positive role model for the team. I will continue to work on my skills because a captain is not exempt from needing to improve as a competitor. I will demonstrate my experience, positive attitude and effective communication skills if chosen as caption. I am confident, loud, full of energy, and I will make you proud if you chose me.

Oppression And Exile Of The Israelites Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Oppression And Exile Of The Israelites - Essay Example The Promised Land was first made to Abraham and was renewed to his son Isaac and later to Jacob. It was to be given to the Israelites after Moses had led them from the bondage of Egypt. Moses was the son of an Israelite but was adopted by Pharaoh's daughter and raised as a royal child in the palace. He was educated about God and his promises to the children of Israelites. By his real mother who asked to take care of him. When Moses was an adult, he found two people fighting, an Egyptian and an Israelite. He killed the Israelite to prove his loyalty to the Egyptians and due to this immoral act; he went into hiding but had his faith in God. He was later called by God to deliver the Israelites from slavery. Moses rejected the call giving a reason that he was not a good orator, but God insisted1. When he finally went to see the pharaoh, he refused to let go of the slaves as the Egyptians had provided all the services to their masters. Pharaoh was adamant about his decision of letting the Israelites go, and God punished him with the ten calamities that softened his heart and let them leave. The Israelites were difficult to persuade to leave Egypt as they had lived all their lives there. Moreover, Moses had a hard time leading them out. It was a difficult mission for Moses to lead the rowdy ex-slaves into the wilderness as they had no rules to guide them. God saw this and gave Moses the Ten Commandments after fasting for forty days at Mt Sinai. However, as Moses was climbing down the mountain, he found the Israelites doing all sorts of immoral things and worshipping idols that made him angry and dropped and broke the commandments that were written on stone pillars. Moses was very angry and destroyed the idol. He went back to the mountain to repent on behalf of the children of Israelites and after forty days, God allowed him to engrave the commandments on rock tablets.