Democratic Alliance (DA) head of policy Gwen Ngwenya has given the all-clear for the party’s policy conference, taking place this weekend, pointing out that economic exclusion will be a major focus.

She said there had always been an urgency to prioritise and focus on a policy platform to deal with economic exclusion.

Two decades after the apartheid era, the majority of South Africans still finds themselves locked out of the economy, she pointed out.

“That need has only become more urgent now in the situation we find ourselves in. I think it is still opportune that we have these kinds of conversations this weekend,” said Ngwenya.

She said there were a number of economic drivers of inequality that created a cycle of deprivation and poverty that people get trapped in.

She highlighted that any economic empowerment policy should pay attention to the drivers of economic inequality.

On the first day of the conference, the DA will be focus on the values and principles that will inform policy-making.

Ngwenya said this was important because sometimes policy disagreements happened owing to different views or not having fully discussed the core principles that informed that policy approach.    

She said while from a policy-maker perspective one might want policy to be informed almost entirely by an evidence-based approach, she said this alternative approach should be taken into consideration.

Ngwenya said the first day of the conference would be important for the party to see if all members were on the same page in terms of what they value and to decide how the party’s policies are expressed.    

On the second day of the conference, the DA would primarily look at the draft economic justice policy which had been available since March for DA members to engage with. 

She said she was not anticipating anything that could weaken the policy document and said the final policy document would depend on the delegates. 

An online policy portal has been created for people to comment on the various documents.

The DA denied that there would be members who boycotted the conference.