The United Democratic Movement (UDM) National Executive Committee (NEC), met at the weekend, to discuss several issues of national importance and gauged the Party’s readiness for the 2019 National and Provincial Elections in terms of its planning.

Amongst its plans had been to host election workshops and meetings, in 2018/9, in the lead-up to the elections. The UDM in the Western Cape has already indicated that they are geared to host a mass meeting on 17 March, whilst the Party in Gauteng shall be ready to engage with the public on 21 March. The UDM in the Eastern Cape will follow in their tracks on the 27th of April.

We will of course be mobilising communities to register new voters and to encourage existing ones to check their address information on the voters roll at Independent Electoral Commission’s registration weekend on the 10th and 11th of March. We will keep the nation abreast of any changes and additional events on our calendar as time progresses.

A National Elections Workshop of the UDM will have its own strategy session, in the third week of May, where the draft manifesto will be presented and to keep its finger on the pulse of the Party’s nationwide campaigns.

In addition, the UDM’s national leaders have been invited to, on the 12th of March, visit the Entlangwini Palace to meet with the King, AmaKhosi and the community.

The NEC also discussed the status quo of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipal Council and noted that the Economic Freedom Fighters called for the removal of Mayor Trollip.

The “new dawn”, promised at this year’s State of the Nation Address, was discussed and the UDM NEC expressed the opinion that it sounds a hollow prospect, as events unfold, with some of the prime suspects in state capture surviving the recent cabinet reshuffle.

With this move, President Ramaphosa has already started off on the wrong foot and the UDM NEC believes that South Africa is in for more-of-the-same.

The involvement of former President Zuma in the African National Congress’ (ANC) electioneering activities, casts doubt that it is at all serious about its plans to eradicate corruption. Mr Zuma’s token removal only happened, because the opposition and civil society put so much pressure on the ANC that they no longer had room to manoeuvre. Their keeping Mr Zuma at the forefront of their election work is like asking a bank-robber to guard the money.

Statement issued by:
Mr Bantu Holomisa, MP
UDM President