Democratic Alliance

The DA strongly advocates for abolishing cadre deployment and establishing a merit-based, professional public service at all levels of government, including municipalities. They propose making political interference in recruitment a criminal offense, rebuilding the Public Service Commission, and implementing strict accountability measures to combat corruption and improve service delivery.

The DA prioritises improving foundational literacy and numeracy in the early grades (Grade R-3) and ensuring quality education for all learners. They advocate for merit-based teacher appointments, independent national tests, and greater school autonomy, while also expanding access to quality Grade R and promoting STEM education. They also propose reforms to higher education funding to support the 'missing middle' through a tiered system of bursaries and loans, and strengthening technical and vocational training.

The DA aims to end load-shedding by breaking up the Eskom monopoly and enabling a competitive energy sector with increased private and municipal self-generation. They propose unbundling Eskom, establishing a separate grid and market operator, and incentivizing 'prosumers' to feed excess power back into the grid.

The DA links housing to land ownership and land reform, aiming to empower individuals through property rights. They propose utilising underutilised government-owned land for housing projects and prioritising land reform in the budget with post-settlement support.

The manifesto primarily addresses immigration at a national level, focusing on attracting top-level researchers and academics to improve higher education outcomes. There is no explicit mention of local border control, regulations for spaza shops, or specific policies regarding foreign nationals at the municipal level.

The DA aims to lift six million people out of poverty by promoting access to opportunities and reforming social welfare. They propose increasing the child support grant to the food poverty line, extending it to pregnant mothers, and converting the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) Grant into a Job Seekers Grant requiring active job seeking. They also highlight existing municipal indigent relief programs in DA-run areas.

The DA advocates for decentralising policing powers to capable provincial and local governments to tailor strategies to specific community needs. They propose strengthening law enforcement through evidence-based policing, merit-based appointments, coordinated partnerships with private security and neighbourhood watches, and robust anti-corruption measures within the police force.

The DA strongly opposes the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme, viewing it as a state-controlled system prone to corruption and cadre deployment. Instead, they propose a Universal Healthcare Coverage model that leverages the strengths of both public and private sectors, aiming to increase competition in the private sector, lower costs, and guarantee a minimum package of services through social reinsurance and risk equalisation.

The DA believes in creating conditions for private enterprise to flourish, aiming to create two million new jobs by reforming the restrictive labour market and slashing red tape for small businesses. They propose a Youth Employment Opportunity Certificate, removing racial targets, and promoting non-racialism to foster meritocracy and diversity.

The DA strongly supports protecting private property rights as enshrined in the Constitution and opposes expropriation without compensation. They advocate for expanding land ownership by prioritising the use of underutilised government-owned land for land reform projects, including housing and farming, and committing increased funding to post-settlement support for beneficiaries.

The DA acknowledges the severe decline in public transport, particularly railway systems, and the poor state of road infrastructure. While not providing extensive detail on municipal transport networks, they commit to making infrastructure development a top priority, including transport infrastructure, and addressing the deterioration of basic services which includes road infrastructure.

The DA positions itself as the anchor of a Multi-Party Charter to unseat the ANC-EFF coalition, advocating for a capable state that fosters private enterprise and non-racial policies. They explicitly reject race-based empowerment (like BBBEE) in favour of meritocracy and policies targeting material disadvantage, aligning with a more liberal, market-oriented approach to national development.

The DA identifies water shortages and failing water infrastructure as a critical national crisis, akin to load-shedding. They advocate for improving governance in the Department of Water and Sanitation, involving private companies in infrastructure projects, and promoting water-sensitive cities and water-wise citizens.