The Multi-Party Charter for South Africa has formally and officially welcomed the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) as the charter's newest member.
The ACDP has joined the Multi-Party Charter coalition ahead of the 2024 general elections.
The signing ceremony event was held at Parliament in Cape Town on Thursday, where the ACDP leadership signed the charter's agreement to form part of South Africa’s growing coalition alternative to the African National Congress (ANC) in 2024.
The charter is made up of seven parties, which include the Democratic Alliance (DA), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), Freedom Front Plus (FF+), ActionSA, United Independent Movement, Spectrum National Party (SNP) and Independent South African National Civics Organisation (Sanco). ACDP is the eighth on the list.
The Multi-Party Charter is a pre-election agreement that is aimed to derail both the "unpleasant" ANC regime and the recent rapid rise of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in the upcoming general elections.
During a media briefing, leaders of the eight Charter parties reaffirmed their commitment to the Charter's vision of "A new government to build a just, inclusive, and prosperous South Africa based on opportunity, freedom, and security for all of its citizens."
According to the leaders, this viable alternative is a multi-party government.
The group also reiterated their eight key priorities for a new coalition government, as follows:
1. Growing the economy and creating jobs
2. Ending load shedding and achieving energy security
3. Achieving law and order that combats crime, corruption, and drugs
4. Ensuring quality education that delivers opportunities for all
5. Delivering basic services to all through high-quality infrastructure
6. Building a professional public service that delivers to all and ending cadre deployment
7. Ensuring quality healthcare for all within a caring healthcare system
8. Building a social relief framework for South African households living in poverty
Furthermore, parties emphasised the need to stand together, not only to bring the ANC below 50% in the elections, "but also to offer voters real hope for a viable alternative to the ANC after the elections".
It further called on South Africans to check that they are correctly registered to vote in the 2024 election.
"Only by uniting will we be able to unseat the ANC and bring in a capable, accountable, caring government that can start to address the pressing challenges facing South Africans today," charter parties said in a joint statement.
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