The Political Party Manifesto Debate and
The Manifesto Assessment

In the lead-up to the 2024 elections, and in the aftermath of the Political Party Manifesto Debate held on the 8^th of May at Community Hall, Project 90 by 2030 assessed the manifestos of nine political parties to help voters better understand what their future politicians have promised to achieve regarding climate change and energy justice in South Africa.

We will begin with the DA, the EFF, and Rise Mzansi, who attended the debate, and continue to give you a brief assessment of the manifestos from ActionSA, the ANC, FF+, the GOOD Party, IFP, and UDM.

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The Democratic Alliance

David Bryant was the representative for the DA at the Political Party Manifesto Debate. He is a spokesperson for the DA, a Member of the National Assembly, and the Shadow Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment. He presented the DA’s position on issues related to climate change and energy justice.

According to Bryant, the DA recognises the need for both mitigation efforts to do “everything we can to reduce our greenhouse gas contribution”, as well as adaptation measures to support South Africans through a changing climate. The DA plans to unbundle Eskom, and have the private sector play more of a role in South Africa’s energy landscape. The DA plans to increase support for large-scale solar rollout to provide homes with their own energy generation that can be fed back into the grid, significantly reducing the burden on the grid, and providing an opportunity to generate revenue. The DA is committed to environmental conservation and to providing alternative employment opportunities to support those impacted by the transition to renewable energies in finding meaningful work.

Assessing the DA Manifesto
The manifesto of the DA makes a connection between the way energy is generated and climate change and has a large focus on ending loadshedding. It does not necessarily prioritise responding to climate change or outline a just energy transition plan, beside ‘diversifying the energy mix’. The emphasis seems to be on getting the lights to come on and stay on, instead of a just energy transition.

Read the DA Manifesto here: https://static.pmg.org.za/DA-Election-Manifesto-2024.pdf

The Economic Freedom Fighters

Nazier Paulsen was the representative for the EFF at the Political Party Manifesto Debate. He is a Member of the Central Command Team of the Economic Freedom Fighters, a Member of Parliament, and a Member at the Portfolio Committee on Forestry, Fisheries and Environment. He presented the EFF’s position on issues related to climate change and energy justice.

According to Paulsen, the EFF aims to be proactive, instead of reactive. Before we can focus on responding to climate change, we need industrialisation and job creation. The EFF plans to ‘move to renewables at our own pace’ and prioritise our own development, considering that other countries have had the opportunity to develop at our expense. South Africa requires a reliable energy system to industrialise, particularly for heavy industry. The creation of jobs, however, does not necessarily have to be energy intensive, and the EFF plans to create jobs particularly in the delivery of services to those who have historically been denied access to basic services. The EFF aims to tackle inequality so that there is not “one set of rules for one part of society, and a different set of rules for the rest” as there is huge inequality in who is most impacted by the issues facing South Africa.

Assessing the EFF Manifesto
The Economic Freedom Fighters have many good elements when it comes to justice for the people of South Africa. When it comes to climate and energy, the EFF advocates for renegotiating climate commitments to reduce emission reduction goals – which many would argue will end up hurting us more than helping us as the effects of climate change become more and more apparent. They state that they are committed to decarbonising the energy sector, but advocate for more of everything, including both fossil fuels and renewable energies, as well as more research into carbon capture and storage and modern techniques for extracting gas.

Read the EFF Manifesto here: https://static.pmg.org.za/A5-EFF-2024-Manifesto-full-version.pdf

Rise Mzansi

Irfaan Mangera was the representative for Rise Mzansi (RM) at the Political Party Manifesto Debate. He is an activist, organiser, and community builder and one of the founders of RM. He presented RM’s position on issues related to climate change and energy justice.

According to Mangera, RM believes “the climate crisis is already here”. RM’s goal is to leave no one behind and believes that making climate change mitigation a priority also brings with it opportunities for South Africans. RM supports a decentralisation of our energy industry and a transition away from coal-dependency, which would be to the benefit of communities impacted by the coal industry. RM supports a diversified energy system consisting of renewables, green hydrogen, small nuclear reactors, and gas. They plan for solar to be used on every building and to support local capacity to be able to develop this initiative. RM is guided by intersectionality, which sees climate justice and social justice as interconnected – and you can’t do one without the other. RM aims to build a sovereign system that is affordable and that benefits the people by including ‘climate justice in [their] internal workings’.

Assessing the RM Manifesto
RM has small sections dedicated to the climate and energy, but they are packed with sentiments of justice and inclusion. There is acknowledgment of climate change as a crisis and of the need to transition to renewables, all with a focus on sustainable development and economic inclusion. RM is open to gas having a role to play in the transition and supporting new nuclear (SMRs). RM’s manifesto is the only one that explicitly acknowledges the opportunity for restorative justice (righting the wrongs of the past) through the way we respond to climate change.

Read the RM Manifesto here: https://static.pmg.org.za/65ab627c5faa95ea313ab276_RISE_Mzansi_Manifesto__.pdf

Assessing the ActionSA Manifesto
ActionSA is committed to promoting a balance between “environmental sustainability and economic justice”. The manifesto has a full section dedicated to a sustainable energy system that ends load shedding. Their plan for a phase-out is for it to be gradual and responsible with a rapid increase in renewables (20GW before 2030).

Read the ActionSA Manifesto here: https://static.pmg.org.za/ActionSA-National-Manifesto-2024.pdf

Assessing the ANC Manifesto
While the manifesto of the African National Congress mentions climate change, the climate crisis, and an energy transition for a cleaner, greener, future, there are no plans in the manifesto for how South Africa will fight climate change or how a just energy transition will be managed. In fact, the plans that are made to end loadshedding through increasing grid capacity and energy generation do not align with a just energy transition. Their diversified energy mix supports an increase in everything (including fossil fuels (such as gas) and renewables).

Read the ANC Manifesto here: https://static.pmg.org.za/ANC-2024-Elections-Manifesto.pdf

Assessing the FF+ Manifesto
Freedom Front Plus is committed to encouraging an energy transition to end load shedding and combat climate change but does not mention elements of justice that are involved or how they will manage the potential impacts that a transition could have. People and energy/climate feel very separate in this manifesto.

Read The FF+ Manifesto here: https://static.pmg.org.za/VF-Plus-Manifes-2024-Digitaal.pdf

Assessing the GOOD Party Manifesto
GOOD uses all the right words and has a strong emphasis on justice. Justice is very prominent in their manifesto. But the manifesto is very short and outlines very few clear plans for how things will be achieved.

Read the Good Party Manifesto here: https://static.pmg.org.za/manifesto-2024-15-Mar.pdf

Assessing the IFP Manifesto
The Inkatha Freedom Party manifesto does not prioritise climate change or just energy transition. While the triple threats of biodiversity loss, climate disruption, and pollution are mentioned, the emphasis is on safeguarding biodiversity and reducing plastic pollution, rather than climate change or just energy transition. When it comes to energy, the IFP supports a diversified energy mix with more of everything (including fossil fuels and renewable energies).

Read the IFP Manifesto here: https://static.pmg.org.za/Inkatha-Freedom-Party-2024-Manifesto.pdf

Assessing the UDM Manifesto
The manifesto of the United Democratic Movement has some positive stances on climate change and environment, but a very confusing load shedding section which lists coal as a renewable source of energy and says that finite and environmentally unsound resources (such as solar panels and batteries) will be reduced, considering the waste that accompanies them.