Fred Nel is a young liberal democrat politician for the Democratic Alliance from Pretoria in South Africa. He believes that politics is serious stuff but requires a mandatory sense of humour.
Friday, 09 November 2007
My Political Party
Visit the political party I belong to the Democratic Alliance and learn what we stand for by downloading and reading our policies.
Well crime is a serious problem in South Africa and we all live in fear. Especially in Pretoria there has been a serious spike in armed robberies. This might be due to the festive season, I don't know. Unfortunately as a councillor our role in fighting crime is limited because it is a national responsibility. However, I would attack the causes and instruments of crime in a crime policy if I was in charge. A few examples. Two strikes an you are out. If you are found guilty of two violent crimes (murder, rape, child molestation, armed robbery, attempted murder, assualt, etc.) you should be jailed for life without the option of parole. Posession puts you in jail. If you are found with an unlicensed firearm you should face a minimum sentence of 15 years in jail without the option of parole. If you are found guilty of this twice it should be 25 years, etc. This is to make it difficult for criminals to posess the instruments of violent crime. Justice system. I am glad to see that the govenrment is finally looking at overhauling the justice system. The police can make as many arrests as they like but if you don't convict quick enough the criminals go out on bail and continue their crime sprees. Get them through the courts quickly, spend some moeny to improve teh capacity of courts and forensic labaratories to do their work faster. On a local level we can do some things. We need to be involved in the local Community Policing Forum to keep the SAPS to account for the crime levels in our neighbourhoods. We should also keep teh Metro Police to account and attempt to ger more of them on the streets. In Pretoria this is the most invisible police force you have ever not seen!! Know your neighbours and look out for each other. Finally, allow citizens to make themselves safe. Allow security neighbourhoods as these have proven to be successful. Don't let the so-called experts fool you into thinking these suburbs don't push down crime, they do. They just choose not to measure the crime rate within those suburbs. It's an uphill battle but common sense and some resources should address the problem. If only we can get teh ruling party to play ball!!
Thanks for your reply Fred. As you say, your role is somewhat limited as a councillor, although as you've mentioned, there's lots that kind be done at ground level. Here in Pietermaritzburg, one suburb is becoming famous for what it now regards as a zero-crime level, thank to the CPF and working with the police dogs and community dogs.
However, I'm unconvinced that the DA can do much about crime. Being a liberal party, it seems like the DA still believe that people are angels and a little bit of jail can cure all.
At the ACDP we take a much harder line on crime. First of all we're the only party that support the death penalty, which is what the majority of South Africans want (I can be corrected on this). Secondly, we want to introduce the Taiwanese system where prisoners actually work while they're in jail and don't sponge of the good citizens taxes. Finally, we value the family unit and role of churches, which produce good citizens, while the liberal system tries to strip churches and family of their roles and put power in the hands of the state.
Hi Eric, thanks for your comments. Yes, liberals are sometimes viewed as soft on crime, however, I do not think this is the case with the DA. Although we have a free vote on the death penalty we believe that we should have a zero tolerance approach towards criminals. We also want to see the army get involved. I think the main crisis is that opposition parties knows what needs to be done but the ruling party don't want to do it. As for liberals wanting to put all power in the hands of the state, this can't be further from the truth. Liberals believe in individual rights, independent judiciary, rule of law, free market economy and a small state. We actually want to see less state interference in the lives of people. Our stance on privatisation is one example of our vision of a small state structure. Our support of federalism is also an indication of our opposition to centralised power.
I'm a little surprised on the free vote the DA has for the death penalty. How would you communicate that to voters who want to know the party's policy? It doesn't seem to be very reassuring?
I'm glad you share the ACDP's views on minimalist government. However, this puts you on the opposite scale to the Labour Party in the UK and the Democrats in the US, who as liberal parties are both in favour of increased government expenditure, more social programmes, etc. How do you reconcile this?
5 comments:
Hi Fred!
All the best for your new role!
Politics is tough business and I will ask you right up front...
I would like to know what you are going to do about crime with your new role?
Hi Eric
Well crime is a serious problem in South Africa and we all live in fear. Especially in Pretoria there has been a serious spike in armed robberies. This might be due to the festive season, I don't know.
Unfortunately as a councillor our role in fighting crime is limited because it is a national responsibility.
However, I would attack the causes and instruments of crime in a crime policy if I was in charge. A few examples.
Two strikes an you are out. If you are found guilty of two violent crimes (murder, rape, child molestation, armed robbery, attempted murder, assualt, etc.) you should be jailed for life without the option of parole.
Posession puts you in jail. If you are found with an unlicensed firearm you should face a minimum sentence of 15 years in jail without the option of parole. If you are found guilty of this twice it should be 25 years, etc. This is to make it difficult for criminals to posess the instruments of violent crime.
Justice system. I am glad to see that the govenrment is finally looking at overhauling the justice system. The police can make as many arrests as they like but if you don't convict quick enough the criminals go out on bail and continue their crime sprees. Get them through the courts quickly, spend some moeny to improve teh capacity of courts and forensic labaratories to do their work faster.
On a local level we can do some things. We need to be involved in the local Community Policing Forum to keep the SAPS to account for the crime levels in our neighbourhoods.
We should also keep teh Metro Police to account and attempt to ger more of them on the streets. In Pretoria this is the most invisible police force you have ever not seen!!
Know your neighbours and look out for each other.
Finally, allow citizens to make themselves safe. Allow security neighbourhoods as these have proven to be successful. Don't let the so-called experts fool you into thinking these suburbs don't push down crime, they do. They just choose not to measure the crime rate within those suburbs.
It's an uphill battle but common sense and some resources should address the problem. If only we can get teh ruling party to play ball!!
Thanks for your reply Fred. As you say, your role is somewhat limited as a councillor, although as you've mentioned, there's lots that kind be done at ground level. Here in Pietermaritzburg, one suburb is becoming famous for what it now regards as a zero-crime level, thank to the CPF and working with the police dogs and community dogs.
However, I'm unconvinced that the DA can do much about crime. Being a liberal party, it seems like the DA still believe that people are angels and a little bit of jail can cure all.
At the ACDP we take a much harder line on crime. First of all we're the only party that support the death penalty, which is what the majority of South Africans want (I can be corrected on this). Secondly, we want to introduce the Taiwanese system where prisoners actually work while they're in jail and don't sponge of the good citizens taxes. Finally, we value the family unit and role of churches, which produce good citizens, while the liberal system tries to strip churches and family of their roles and put power in the hands of the state.
Do you have any thoughts on these issues?
Hi Eric, thanks for your comments.
Yes, liberals are sometimes viewed as soft on crime, however, I do not think this is the case with the DA. Although we have a free vote on the death penalty we believe that we should have a zero tolerance approach towards criminals. We also want to see the army get involved. I think the main crisis is that opposition parties knows what needs to be done but the ruling party don't want to do it.
As for liberals wanting to put all power in the hands of the state, this can't be further from the truth. Liberals believe in individual rights, independent judiciary, rule of law, free market economy and a small state. We actually want to see less state interference in the lives of people. Our stance on privatisation is one example of our vision of a small state structure. Our support of federalism is also an indication of our opposition to centralised power.
Some interesting thoughts.
I'm a little surprised on the free vote the DA has for the death penalty. How would you communicate that to voters who want to know the party's policy? It doesn't seem to be very reassuring?
I'm glad you share the ACDP's views on minimalist government. However, this puts you on the opposite scale to the Labour Party in the UK and the Democrats in the US, who as liberal parties are both in favour of increased government expenditure, more social programmes, etc. How do you reconcile this?
Post a Comment