Mr Bantu Holomisa, MPUDM President Honourable Ms Nosiviwe N Mapisa-Nqakula Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Room 1418, Floor 14 120 Plein Street CAPE TOWN 8000 Dear Honourable, Mapisa-Nqakula REQUEST FOR AN URGENT INVESTIGATION: APPOINTMENT OF PRIVATE CONTRACT FOR THE RENDERING OF A MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OF OPERATIONAL MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN NAVY WESTERN CAPE REGION FOR A THREE YEARS PERIOD The above has reference. The awarding of the bid [...]
UDEMWO welcomes the decision of zero-rated sanitary pads
Ms Thandi NontenjaUDEMWO Secretary General The United Democratic Movement Women’s Organisation (UDEMWO) welcomes the announcement by the Finance Minister Tito Mboweni for sanitary pads to be zero-rated. This step in the right direction is long overdue however; to say it will only kick off next year is too far. It should be with immediate effect. The struggle of young girls being unable to access pads has been an on-going tussle for a very [...]
UDM KwaZulu-Natal on deeply concerning issues in the uMzinyathi District
UDM KwaZulu-Natal on deeply concerning issues in the uMzinyathi District 1. Endumeni Municipality The United Democratic Movement (UDM) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), has noted the worrisome news that was published by the Independent Newspaper's Daily News on 16 October 2018 re: “Forensic report uncovers rampant corruption at Endumeni Municipality”. After this, it was reported on 22 October 2018 by the Northern Natal Courier that the Endumeni mayor had resigned, with a further report on Tuesday [...]
Government must find permanent solutions to shack fires
Mr Bongani MsomiUDM Secretary General The United Democratic Movement (UDM) is disturbed by the horrific Khayelitsha fires that claimed a life and left hundreds of people without a place of safety. We are in particular worried about matric pupils busy preparing for final exams. There can never be anything more stressful than the situation they find themselves in while they still need to study. The UDM calls on all stakeholders to pay [...]
Speech by Mr BH Holomisa, MP and UDM President on the current political landscape, PIC corruption and post-2019 coalitions as a guest of the Current Media Forum
Mr Bantu Holomisa, MPUDM President • Members of the Current Media Forum • Our host, Mr Peter Ford • Ladies and gentlemen 1. Thanks Before we go into the nitty gritty of our conversation, I want to thank the Current Media Forum and Peter Ford for inviting me to have this chat. 2. Introduction We certainly live in interesting times, even though much of the news we consume these days is nauseating. [...]
Omotoso trial: Dauberman’s questioning is immoral and unethical
Ms Thandi NontenjaUDEMWO Secretary General Since the start of the Tim Omotoso trial, the past few days have been nothing but the most unbearable time for women in South Africa. It is so overwhelming to witness the young and brave rape survivor, Cheryl Zondi being grilled in the manner that the defence Advocate Peter Daubermann did. In our view, his morals and ethics are questionable. The United Democratic Movement Women’s Organisation (UDEMWO) [...]
UDM welcomes announcement of PIC commission of inquiry
Mr Bantu Holomisa, MPUDM President The United Democratic Movement welcomes the president’s announcement of the appointment of Justice Lex Mpati as the head of the commission of inquiry into the allegations of corruption at the Public Investment Corporation (PIC). The inquiry should clean-up the mess at the PIC and get to the bottom of the rot we have seen exposed in the media for quite some time. The pension funds of past and [...]
Good luck class of 2018!
Mr Bongani MsomiUDM Secretary General As you stand at the precipice of exams, the United Democratic Movement wishes all the matriculants, who will start writing exams today, the best of luck. It must be a motivation to you that you have persevered with your schooling to have reached this goal. We understand that the pressure is on, and that all eyes are on you, but that should motivate you to study even harder [...]
Condolences on the passing of Pik Botha
Mr Bantu Holomisa, MPUDM President The first time the late Pik Botha and I spoke over the phone was with the removal of George Matanzima and Stella Sigcau from power. I explained that on both occasions there was just cause, because of the corruption they were involved in. He again contacted us when he and FW de Klerk had concerns that the Transkei military government was taking unilateral decisions when we decided to [...]
VBS: ‘The Great Bank Heist’ – it’s time for action not words
Mr Bantu Holomisa, MPUDM President President Ramaphosa must immediately appoint a task team to make sure that the people who were fingered by advocate Terry Motau in his report are held responsible for their misdeeds. Each and every person must be brought under the search light, especially those in the employ of the Public Investment Corporation. The PIC seems to be sinking deeper and deeper in the quagmire of corruption. The United [...]
The PIC commission should start now that Nene has been fired
Mr Bantu Holomisa, MPUDM President We welcome President Ramaphosa’s decision to show Nhlanhla Nene the door. We have consistently been calling on the President to act with speed in instituting a commission of inquiry regarding the Public Investment Corporation (PIC). The Gupta scandal makes the exploitation of the PIC look like a Sunday picnic and the President should take immediate action so that the rot may be exposed. We now know why [...]
PIC looting scandal
Mr Bantu Holomisa, MPUDM President The deeper we dig, the greater the corruption exposed. The United Democratic Movement (UDM) has been saying all along that there is something seriously wrong at the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) and that it is endangering the pensions of government employees. Our sources indicate as much, and the scratch-work done by the media; in particular the amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism, reads like a corruption horror story. As [...]
Xolobeni: Minister Mantashe’s arrogance
Mr Bongani MsomiUDM Secretary General The United Democratic Movement (UDM) is dismayed at the decision of Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe to give an Australian company the go-ahead to mine at the Xolobeni village in the Eastern Cape. This, even after an outcry from the community. Millions of rands will be shipped out of the country by the foreign company leaving our people poor and without something tangible for themselves. It is [...]
Government still fails on SASSA system
Ms Thandi NontenjaUDEMWO Secretary General The United Democratic Movement Women’s Organisation (UDEMWO) is stunned that many social grant beneficiaries still have difficulties in accessing their grants on time due to a number of cash points that have been closed since the Post Office took over from Cash Paymaster Services. This is totally unacceptable. UDEMWO has asked before whether the South African Social Service (Sassa) has the capability and capacity to deliver on [...]
Nelson Mandela Bay: Trollip is the orchestrator of his own demise
Demist mogafe <It looks as if the Democratic Alliance federal chairman Cllr Athol Trollip, of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, seems to be suffering from selective amnesia. He proves himself to be nothing more than a prevaricator and a practiced liar. It is about time that someone confronts Trollip for spreading falsehoods and misrepresenting facts. Having listened to the radio on what Trollip said in his address to the Cape Town Press Club, the [...]
To give PIC CEO Dan Matjila a golden handshake is preposterous
Mr Bantu Holomisa, MPUDM President We are all aware that there will be a commission of inquiry which shall investigate the mess at the Public Investment Corporation (PIC). Despite the announcement, we have for several months waited with bated breath to hear who will serve on the commission and what the terms of reference will be. We, in today’s Mail and Guardian, read that PIC chief executive officer Dr Daniel Matjila has [...]