ON June 2 some 17 million voters will go to the polls in SA's second post-apartheid election. Most will be Black: and vast numbers of these ill-starred, unsophisticated, semi-literate. Will they prove as trusting and gullible as did so many on April 27, 1994? Regrettably, not least be-cause of intimidation and chicanery, the answer is almost certainly "yes." Indeed, the ANC this time round is seek-ing a super-majority, this to grant them supreme, one-party status. I have been re-reading some of the ANC's 1994 election promises. When judged on delivery, they border on the surreal. Samples:

• "The National Party's economic policies have caused poverty and suffering for millions of South Africans. Right now 5 million people are unemployed. We cannot afford any more mismanagement. We need a government that cares. A vote for the ANC is a vote for 2,5 million jobs in ten years through a National Works programme.
• "We have a plan to build over one million houses in the next five years …"

• "Ten years free, quality education for all children. The sooner we get South Africans working and our children studying, the sooner all of us will enjoy a better life."
• "Our plan is to create wealth. We will create a stable environment for investment and growth … we will en-courage international investment."
• "The ANC has a plan to turn the tide of violence and put peace and security back into our lives."

And so on. And on.Have the foundations indeed been laid, as the ANC would have us believe, for this promised heavenly kingdom? Most comprehensive answer to that is contained in a really outstanding 48-page briefing paper prepared by the Democratic Party, especially important when so many in the media appear to have suspended their critical faculties. If you wish to trace the steady deteriora-tion of SA into the lawless cesspool it has become under ANC rule then, in the interests of your own safety and fu-ture, you should study this DP indictment with the greatest care. Please read on about the:
 

ANC & ELECTION 1999: STENCH OF A...

PARTY WITH TOO MUCH POWER

CRIME. Although the RDP (Reconstruction and Development Programme) does not explicitly deal with crime, the past five years have seen a litany of government plans to combat crime, many of which have not been properly implemented, all of which have failed.

South Africa's criminal justice system has deteriorated rapidly over the past five years. Far from being transformed into an efficient, effective body to uphold the rule of law, the system is grinding to a halt. It is apparent that fighting crime is simply not a priority for this Government. The share of total expenditure given to Police, Justice and Prisons has dropped in this year's budget. The Medium-Term Expenditure Framework plans for this share to drop in the next three years. The nominal increase of 3,8% on the criminal justice system does not keep up with inflation and is an expenditure cut in real terms.

According to the latest figures released by the Crime Information Analysis Centre of the SAPS stock theft and drug related crime are the only two categories of crime which have decreased between 1997/8 and 1998/9.

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The rate of murder, attempted murder, bank robbery and common assault all increased marginally, while there was a dramatic increase in truck and car hijacking, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, and robbery with aggravating circumstances.

Surveys collecting details of the experiences of crime victims in South Africa indicate that the level of crime is even higher than reported crime statistics reveal. Some 27% of crimes committed are not reported. Public perception of the government's inability to solve crime increases the likelihood of the non- or underreporting of crime. As the ratio of crimes reported to crimes committed diminishes, crime becomes increasingly invisible and the police ex-perience greater difficulties in tackling it.

WASTED RESOURCES: Of SA's 112 000 uniformed police officers, only 87 000 perform policing functions. Each courtroom (there are about 500) has at least two court orderlies, the majority of whom are uniformed police officers. 2 437 police officers guard state owned premises.

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