The ANC discussion documents reported on today are right about one thing: the party is facing a "crisis of credibility." But the solution the party puts forward - dramatic changes to our Constitution - will only deepen the crisis the party finds itself in.

It is true that people are beginning to question the ANC's ability to deliver on its promise of a better life for all. And it is true that the party has lost its moral compass.

Anybody can see that this is no longer the party of Nelson Mandela. Madiba lived the values of openness, human rights, humility, clean government, diversity, redress and reconciliation. The current leadership of the ANC does not.

The ANC is right to acknowledge how far it has drifted from Madiba's values. But while its diagnosis may be correct, the cure it puts forward is all wrong.

Because the ANC believes that the way to reclaim its lost credibility is to fundamentally overhaul the Constitution. 

The current ANC leadership should remember that our Constitution was not imposed on us from outside. It was the product of negotiation, compromise and sheer common sense. It is the very embodiment of our rainbow nation. It is the real and lasting legacy of the Mandela era. 

And now the ANC wants to destroy it.

Why is this?

The truth is that the ANC's plans have nothing to do with reclaiming lost credibility. They have everything to do with grabbing more power for politicians at the expense of the people. 

Giving the state the power to arbitrarily tamper with property rights, for example, will hinder our ability to grow our economy at the rate required to create jobs for the millions of unemployed people in our country.

Giving government the power to interfere with the Reserve Bank will enable unscrupulous politicians to influence exchange rates and interest rates to boost returns on their own private investments.

And scrapping or reducing the provinces is not about improving service delivery. It is a thinly veiled strategy to gerrymander the Democratic Alliance (DA) out of power. The DA has proven in the Western Cape that provincial governments can improve people's lives if the right policies are implemented. But the ANC would rather people suffer under the ANC than prosper under the DA.

The DA will fight any changes to the Constitution that take power away from the people and put it into the hands of politicians. In doing so, we will continue to uphold Madiba's values of openness, human rights, humility, clean government, diversity, redress and reconciliation. We will protect his precious legacy so that all South Africans may one day be free to a live a life they value.

Statement issued by Mmusi Maimane, DA National Spokesperson, March 4 2012

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