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The DA is planning to conduct lifestyle audits on more than just its Western Cape government officials; it intends making them a cornerstone of the party’s manifesto leading up to the 2021 local government elections.
In doing so, the party wants to stop relying on coalition partners as a way to govern municipalities.
It hopes that by emphasising transparency, accountability and good governance in DA-led local governments, it will be able to lure voters.
DA national spokesperson Solly Malatsi told City Press: “The DA fully supports Western Cape Premier Alan Winde’s initiative [to instigate lifestyle audits] as it reinforces the party’s pursuit of the highest standards of transparency and ethical leadership in government.
“The issue of lifestyle audits will be on the discussion agenda for the party’s manifesto for the 2021 local government elections.”
Members of the party’s federal executive told City Press that the lifestyle audits looked set to be adopted without opposition “as many see the audits as something that will set the party apart and work as a great election selling point”.
James Selfe, head of the DA’s governance unit, said senior executives in all spheres of government ought to be subjected to lifestyle audits.
He said the DA was “not merely interested in being in government for the sake of just being in government”, but was more interested in adding value where it leads.
“We are only interested in governing in places where we can govern well, where we have the manpower and capabilities of doing a good job. We are in governments to create new and never-before-reached standards of governance in South Africa,” said Selfe.
DA Gauteng leader John Moodey echoed these sentiments, saying that instead of chasing after coalition partners and trying to hold on to municipalities, the DA should rather occupy itself with demonstrating to ordinary South Africans that “where the party governs, it provides good service delivery and prioritises residents more than merely holding on to power”.
This shift by the DA from leaning on coalition partners to placing trust in the party’s own merits has been prompted by the DA having lost its governance of the Johannesburg metro last year to the ANC, after its coalition partners, the EFF and the Inkatha Freedom Party, deserted it.
The latter chose to rather vote with the ANC.
The DA also looks set to lose Tshwane as the EFF has now joined forces with the ANC and is ready to vote out embattled mayor Stevens Mokgalapa as well as DA speaker Katlego Mathebe.
The DA garnered votes in Johannesburg, Tshwane and Nelson Mandela Bay during the 2016 municipal elections, based on its record of transparency, accountability and relatively clean governance in the Western Cape.
Now, it appears that the party is set on going back to these basics.
The Western Cape government, led by Winde, has subjected the provincial cabinet members, the mayor and MECs to lifestyle audits as a way of improving transparency and accountability.
It did so after issuing a tender last year, inviting independent service providers to conduct the lifestyle audits on its provincial Cabinet members.
After going through what Winde called a “thorough tender process”, the provincial government appointed Nexus Forensic Services, a Joburg-based firm, to conduct the audits.
Larissa Venter, parliamentary and social media officer for the premier, said: “This was done as part of our clean governance and transparency journey. The motivation for these lifestyle audits is to ensure that the residents of this country are certain that in the Western Cape they have leaders they can trust – especially in light of evidence of state capture and allegations of corruption in the public service in other parts of South Africa. As the Western Cape, we want to set a new standard for anti-corruption.”
The party is expected to release the findings of the audit report by end-March.
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