How to read the scores
AI analysis assigns a numerical score from -2 to +2 based on the party's stance relative to state control vs. free market, or opposition vs. support for a specific policy reform.
Policy Commitments
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The UDM prioritizes good governance and anti-corruption, advocating for a merit-based, professional civil service and strict consequences for corruption at all levels of government. They emphasize restoring accountability, empowering accounting officers, and establishing independent oversight mechanisms. The party also highlights the critical role of traditional leaders and sub-headmen in rural governance and service delivery, promising support and recognition.
Key Proposals
- Untie the tangled web of corruption, especially concerning State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs).
- Ensure significant consequences for those found guilty of corruption.
- Restore the powers of accounting officers to prevent political heads from usurping their authority.
- Professionalise the civil service to reduce reliance on consultants and ensure merit-based appointments.
- Establish independent anti-corruption task teams in each province with recovery steps.
- Promote ethics of good governance through codes of conduct and corporate governance.
- Provide adequate support and oversight to rural municipalities with limited revenue and skills shortages to raise capacity.
- Recognise and protect the role and institution of traditional leaders, ensuring proper budgeting for their perks and standardisation across the board.
- Investigate solutions for the plight of sub-headmen (iibhodi).
The UDM strongly supports state-funded and improved education at all levels, from basic to tertiary, recognizing its impact on national stability and prosperity. They prioritize upgrading school infrastructure, eradicating pit latrines, and providing essential resources, including libraries and technology. The party also advocates for fee-free tertiary education for poor and working-class families, emphasizes skills training, and aims to professionalize the teaching sector.
Key Proposals
- Concentrate on building, fixing, and upgrading school infrastructure, eradicating mud schools and pit latrines.
- Establish a permanent commission on education to ensure stability in the curriculum.
- Reopen teacher training colleges and impose national standards for teachers.
- Reintroduce school inspectors to deal with attendance, teacher ineffectiveness, and administrative concerns.
- Make additional funding available for learning materials, resources, libraries, laboratories, computers, and other teaching aids.
- Enhance adult basic education and training with emphasis on employable skills.
- Reopen vocational training centres and start new ones, and out-of-school programmes for the unschooled.
- Support fee-free tertiary education for students from poor and working-class families.
The UDM strongly opposes Eskom's monopolistic practices and proposes a public/private partnership model for Eskom, with government retaining a 51% stake. They advocate for recognizing and strengthening the historic role of local government in electricity distribution, ensuring revenue remains with municipalities. The party also champions a greater component of renewable energy in the national mix, encouraging local beneficiation and manufacturing of energy products.
Key Proposals
- Discard Eskom's monopolistic practices in electricity distribution and supply.
- Propose a public/private partnership model for Eskom, with government holding a 51% stake.
- Recognise the historic role of local government in electricity distribution, ensuring revenue remains in the treasury of local government.
- Increase the component of renewable energy resources (nuclear, coal, hydro, solar, wind) in South Africa's energy mix.
- Set targets for gradual increase in renewable energy use and reduction in reliance on finite resources.
- Exercise quality control over renewable energy products to prevent South Africa from becoming a dumping site for obsolete technologies.
- Invest in training local expertise for beneficiation of raw materials and manufacturing of energy products (e.g., wind-turbines, solar panels, batteries).
The manifesto does not explicitly detail a policy stance on housing, informal settlements, or spatial planning. While it acknowledges rapid urbanization and the need for land in cities, it offers no specific proposals for housing provision or addressing informal settlements.
The UDM expresses significant concern about illegal immigration, linking it to joblessness among South Africans and increased crime due to porous borders. They propose protecting South African jobs from unfair competition by illegal immigrants and reserving certain small enterprises, including spaza shops, for South African citizens. While advocating for a 'compassionate and holistic' approach in line with international obligations, their focus is on stricter control and prioritizing South African economic interests.
Key Proposals
- Protect South Africans in the labour market from unfair competition by illegal and undocumented immigrants.
- Deal with the exploitation of illegal immigrants in the private sector.
- Reserve certain enterprises, including spaza shops, petty trading, and hawking, solely for South African citizens via legislation.
- Encourage partnerships between South Africans and non-South Africans in specific sectors like beauty salons for skills transfer.
- Address the issue of illegal immigrants' involvement in crime.
- Call for a SADC leadership summit to discuss illegal immigration and seek UN/AU assistance.
The UDM acknowledges widespread poverty, inequality, and the cost-of-living crisis, particularly affecting marginalized groups like women, youth, and people with disabilities. While not explicitly mentioning 'indigent registers' or 'free municipal basic services,' their commitment to bringing healthcare closer to the poor, empowering women through community projects, addressing period poverty, and reintegrating vulnerable youth into the economic mainstream indicates a strong support for expanding social welfare and relief efforts.
Key Proposals
- Bring health infrastructure and services closer to the poor.
- Empower women to expand their economic and social participation through community-based projects.
- Ensure appropriate spending of the national budget for the Sanitary Dignity Policy and Framework to address period poverty.
- Provide programmes to reintegrate vulnerable youth into the economic and social mainstream.
- Ensure the Department of Health is part of an integrated response to alcohol and drug abuse affecting youth.
- Create employment opportunities specifically targeted at people with disabilities.
The UDM acknowledges the severe crime problem, including violent crime, drug distribution, and illegal immigration's link to criminal elements. They advocate for a comprehensive, coordinated approach to safety and security, emphasizing strengthening and depoliticizing law enforcement, allocating more resources to combat crime syndicates, and actively involving communities through initiatives like properly resourced neighbourhood watches. While addressing root causes, their proposals lean towards strengthening policing and enforcement.
Key Proposals
- Create a civil order system with necessary resources and support.
- Establish a Crime Prevention Ministry to coordinate justice, police, correctional services, defence, and national intelligence departments.
- Depoliticise all members of the SANDF, SAPS, and Intelligence Communities.
- Allocate more resources to destroy crime syndicates through property forfeiture, financial penalties, and victim compensation.
- Actively encourage community participation in crime eradication, including establishing properly resourced neighbourhood watches.
- Reorganise police recruitment processes to allow communities to participate in keeping their environment safe and secure.
- Ensure SAPS has adequate training, structural, and technology capacity, including establishing Crime Busting Units.
- Establish a baseline information system (database) for strategic planning around crime, using victim surveys.
- Convene a SADC leadership summit to discuss illegal immigration and seek UN/AU assistance for South Africa's dilemma.
The UDM identifies significant failures in the current healthcare system, including poor infrastructure, unacceptable hygiene in clinics, and lack of access for the poor. They advocate for bringing health services closer to communities, improving primary healthcare through nutrition and family planning, and regulating traditional healing. While not explicitly mentioning NHI, their focus is on strengthening public healthcare provision and access, especially at the primary care level.
Key Proposals
- Address poor quality healthcare infrastructure and maintenance, and unacceptable hygiene at clinics.
- Bring health infrastructure and services closer to the poor.
- Implement proper and functioning referral mechanisms for specialized care.
- Integrate nutrition guidance and family planning as integral parts of primary healthcare.
- Investigate mechanisms to regulate and monitor traditional healing and healers.
- Ensure the Department of Health is part of an integrated response to alcohol and drug abuse.
The UDM strongly advocates for state-led and municipally-supported local economic development, focusing on sustainable job creation, SMME support, and rural revitalisation. They propose specific interventions like community development banks, reserving certain enterprises for South African citizens, and empowering local government to support street traders and hawkers. The emphasis is on local wealth generation and protecting South African jobs.
Key Proposals
- Facilitate loans and investments in community businesses and establish community development banks.
- Promote 'buying South African' to stimulate local wealth generation and job creation.
- Launch a massive enterprise focused on job creation through infrastructure maintenance and development.
- Protect South Africans in the labour market from unfair competition from illegal and undocumented immigrants.
- Empower local government to provide resources for developing appropriate infrastructure for street traders and hawkers.
- Reserve certain enterprises (e.g., spaza shops, petty trading, taxi services with small fleets) solely for South African citizens via legislation.
- Reintroduce government programmes (maintenance units) to employ and train unemployed as artisans in agricultural and community development projects, transforming them into self-sustaining local businesses.
- Reinstate tax incentives for enterprises to re-establish industries close to rural communities to stimulate rural economies and stem urbanisation.
The UDM acknowledges the historical injustice and economic importance of land, stating that possession of land remains a 'far-flung dream' for many. While not explicitly endorsing Expropriation Without Compensation (EWC), they propose a national Economic Indaba to thoroughly discuss its implications, including impacts on food security, economic stability, urbanization, traditional leaders, and land tenure. They are against 'free-for-all land grabs' and emphasize speeding up title deed issuance.
Key Proposals
- Host an Economic Indaba with all stakeholders to discuss the macro economy, with land at the apex of the debate.
- Discuss the implications of expropriation without compensation, including its impact on food security, economic stability, and rapid urbanisation.
- Address how traditional leaders, rural communities, and entities like the Ingonyama Trust will be affected by land reform.
- Speed up the issuing of title deeds to enable entrepreneurs to use them as collateral for start-ups.
- Discuss the position on the sale of urban land to foreigners.
The UDM recognizes the severe deterioration of public transport and road infrastructure, which impacts economic activity and access to essential services. They propose a significant investment in restoring and modernizing the existing railway system, including exploring high-speed rail, to reduce reliance on road transport. The party also emphasizes the need for effective and user-friendly public transportation, especially for vulnerable groups like school children and people with disabilities.
Key Proposals
- Explore the feasibility of an intercity high-speed rail system.
- Restore and modernise the existing railway system and construct additional capability.
- Reduce accidents and fatalities on roads through improved transport.
- Lessen the overtaxing of roads by heavy vehicles, reducing damage and maintenance costs.
- Ensure public transportation is effective and user-friendly, providing access for people with disabilities.
The UDM identifies as a social democratic party with a strong moral sense, advocating for a 'national interest first' approach to foreign policy. They support multilateralism and aim to protect South Africa's economy from being a 'dumping ground' for foreign goods. While supporting African initiatives for peace and stability and regional infrastructure development within SADC, their focus is on local beneficiation and job creation, rather than radical ideological shifts or renaming.
Key Proposals
- Ensure South Africa's foreign policy is subservient to the will and needs of its people, focusing on multilateralism.
- Balance international commitments with national interests.
- Not ratify international conventions before parliamentary approval.
- Advance African initiatives and programmes for peace and stability on the continent.
- Promote intensification of infrastructure development within SADC to facilitate trade.
- Gradually cease mass export of raw materials to create local jobs through processing and manufacturing.
The UDM acknowledges severe issues with water infrastructure and non-existent waste management in cities and towns, linking these to governmental neglect and corruption. They propose a national waste management and reduction plan, including recycling, and emphasize the importance of water and sanitation for basic health and school infrastructure. Their focus is on improving and in-sourcing municipal provision.
Key Proposals
- Implement a waste management and waste reduction plan.
- Launch a nation-wide recycling initiative and ensure responsible disposal of non-recyclable waste.
- Address the issue of defunct water pipes and clogged sewerage systems.
- Concentrate on building, fixing, and upgrading school infrastructure, including eradicating pit latrines and ensuring potable water and sanitation in schools.
- Commit to healthcare linked to social cluster portfolios, recognizing the role of water and sanitation in basic health.