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13 Feb, 2026
Tragic death of Bernard Isaacs Primary School 5-year-old: protecting our youngest learners
Statement by Zandile Phiri, Acting Secretary General of the United Democratic Movement It is with profound sadness that United Democratic Movement (UDM) reflects on the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of a five-year-old learner at Bernard Isaacs Primary School in Coronationville, Johannesburg. Parents entrust schools with the care and protection of their children every single day. That trust must never be compromised. The loss of a child in a school environment is not only a family tragedy, but also a national concern. We note that the Gauteng Department of Education has appointed an independent law firm to investigate this matter. The process must be thorough, transparent and credible. The family deserves clear answers. The community deserves clarity; and where accountability is required, it must follow without delay. Tragically, this is not an isolated incident. Earlier this year, an eight-year-old learner at Klapmuts Primary School in the Western Cape died during school hours under circumstances that required police investigation. In 2025, another eight-year-old learner at Alberview Primary School in Gauteng died after sustaining injuries while playing at school, prompting an independent departmental inquiry. When incidents of this nature occur repeatedly across provinces, they demand more than case-by-case responses. They demand systemic intervention. The UDM therefore calls on the Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube and her department to initiate a nationwide review of school safety protocols. This must include: 1. A comprehensive audit of supervision policies during school hours and school events. 2. A review of infrastructure safety, including classrooms, playgrounds and sanitation facilities. 3. Clear national minimum standards for emergency response procedures at schools. 4. Mandatory reporting and transparency frameworks when serious incidents occur. 5. Immediate psychosocial support mechanisms for learners, staff and families affected by school tragedies. The safety of children cannot depend solely on provincial capacity or individual school management. National leadership must set clear standards, enforce compliance, and ensure that preventative measures are implemented uniformly across the country. Schools must remain safe spaces for learning, not sites of preventable tragedy. If gaps exist, they must be closed. If policies are inadequate, they must be strengthened. If oversight is weak, it must be reinforced. Our thoughts remain with the family of the young learner and all families who continue to seek answers in similar cases. We owe it to them, and to every child in South Africa, to move from reaction to prevention.
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12 Feb, 2026
Force on campus: SAPS and private security move on NMU students in a crisis that was foreseeable
Statement by Zandile Phiri, Acting Secretary General of the United Democratic Movement The United Democratic Movement (UDM) is deeply concerned by developments at Nelson Mandela University, where both private security personnel and members of the South African Police Service have reportedly been deployed to disperse protesting students using water cannons, stun grenades and paintball rounds. The videos circulating on social media are alarming. The sight of private security advancing in formation, supported by SAPS, creates the perception of a militarised response in what should be a space of learning and engagement. Two issues must be addressed clearly. First, the role of private security. Private security companies are contracted to protect property and maintain campus safety. They are not public order policing units. If private contractors were authorised to deploy crowd control weaponry, serious questions arise about oversight, rules of engagement and accountability. Who authorised their mandate? What protocols governed their conduct? Were they acting independently, or under instruction from management or SAPS? Second, the involvement of SAPS. The police carry a constitutional responsibility to maintain public order. However, the threshold for deploying stun grenades and water cannons against students must be exceptionally high. What was the threat assessment? Were lives at immediate risk? Were alternative de-escalation measures attempted before force was used? The UDM has repeatedly warned that the risk of unrest during registration periods remains high due to perennial and unresolved challenges, including accommodation shortages, funding delays and administrative bottlenecks. These pressures build year after year. When they are not addressed proactively and transparently, the likelihood of confrontation increases significantly. What we are witnessing now is not an isolated event but part of a pattern that should have been anticipated and mitigated through better planning and engagement. The combination of private security and state policing in a campus protest environment risks blurring lines of authority and responsibility. When force is used, clarity on command structures and accountability becomes essential. If criminal acts were committed, they must be dealt with lawfully. But the public is entitled to know what specific conduct justified a response of this magnitude. Transparency is not optional in circumstances where young people may have been placed at risk. The UDM calls for: 1. A joint public briefing by university management and SAPS explaining the chain of command, the authorisation process and the justification for the level of force deployed. 2. Confirmation of injuries, if any, and details of medical and psychological support offered to affected students. 3. A clear outline of the protocols governing private security involvement in crowd control situations on campuses. 4. Immediate re-establishment of structured dialogue between management and recognised student leadership. We also call on students to remain calm, to act responsibly and to ensure that their protests remain peaceful and within the bounds of the law. Legitimate grievances must not be undermined by actions that place lives at risk or damage property. Reasoned engagement strengthens the cause. Escalation weakens it. South Africa’s higher education institutions are already navigating deep systemic pressures. Escalation through visible force risks entrenching mistrust and instability. Our campuses must remain spaces of safety, dialogue and democratic engagement. Accountability from both private security contractors and law enforcement authorities is now essential to restore calm and public confidence.
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11 Feb, 2026
FMD is not a photo opportunity: farmers need solutions, not political point-scoring
Statement by Zandile Phiri, Acting Secretary General of the United Democratic Movement The United Democratic Movement (UDM) condemns the emerging political row over who deserves credit for South Africa’s renewed local production of the Foot and Mouth Disease vaccine. At a time when thousands of farmers are facing income collapse, livestock losses and prolonged movement bans, it is deeply inappropriate for political parties to reduce a national agricultural crisis to a contest over headlines. This outbreak is not about party branding. It is about farmers who have been unable to sell cattle for months. It is about rural families who cannot pay school fees. It is about auction houses losing jobs. It is about rising beef and milk prices affecting ordinary households. It is about cultural and economic systems in rural communities being placed under severe strain. It is also, critically, about smaller and communal farmers who simply cannot absorb the financial shock while political point scoring continues. Unlike large commercial operations, small scale farmers do not have reserves to cushion prolonged movement bans. When cattle cannot be sold, income stops immediately. There is no fallback. There is no diversification. For many households, livestock is the only reliable asset. Every week of delay deepens debt, weakens herds and pushes families closer to crisis. The production of locally manufactured vaccines after more than two decades is a positive development. It should be welcomed. However, the question South Africans are asking is not who stands in front of the cameras. The question is why the country allowed itself to become so dependent on external supply for over 20 years. Why were biosecurity weaknesses not addressed earlier. Why was vaccine manufacturing capacity not rebuilt proactively. Why was this level of outbreak not anticipated and prevented through stronger surveillance, traceability and veterinary capacity. These are governance questions, not partisan ones. South Africa has experienced previous outbreaks in 2000 and 2010. The risks associated with cross border movement, buffalo reservoirs and livestock traceability have long been known. The scale of the current crisis suggests that systemic vulnerabilities were allowed to persist. Political energy would be better directed toward correcting those structural weaknesses rather than arguing over retrospective credit. The UDM calls for the following urgent measures: 1. Full transparency on vaccine production volumes and distribution timelines. 2. A clear national vaccination rollout plan with measurable targets. 3. Stronger enforcement of livestock movement controls, supported by community engagement rather than coercion alone. 4. Inclusion of private veterinarians and agricultural bodies to accelerate implementation where capacity is stretched. 5. Clear communication channels for farmers so that misinformation and uncertainty do not undermine compliance. 6. Consideration of temporary financial relief mechanisms for severely affected small scale and communal farmers. This crisis requires unity of purpose. It requires coordination between national and provincial governments. It requires collaboration with organised agriculture, communal farmers and traditional leaders. It requires urgency. Farmers do not care which party claims a breakthrough. Smaller farmers in particular cannot take the financial hit while this situation drags on. They care whether vaccines reach their herds in time. They care whether auctions reopen. They care whether their livelihoods survive. The UDM urges all political actors to lower the temperature of partisan conflict and focus on delivery. The fight against Foot and Mouth Disease must be guided by competence, transparency and speed, not political theatre. In a Government of National Unity, political sensitivity should compel all partners to prioritise collective responsibility and delivery over partisan credit, especially in moments of national crisis affecting livelihoods and food security. South Africa’s agricultural stability and rural economy depend on it.
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09 Feb, 2026
The perennial crisis of degrees without beds
Statement by Zandile Phiri, Acting Secretary General of the United Democratic Movement Recent scenes of students arriving at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) and sleeping outside campus in the hope of securing a bed are a stark reminder that South Africa’s student accommodation crisis is not new. It is perennial, systemic, and worsening. Reports from the start of the 2026 academic year show that hundreds of students were left waiting without confirmed residence placements, highlighting a failure of planning, policy and delivery at every level of our higher education system. The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has noted that it does not run university residences and that the responsibility for placing students in housing lies with institutions themselves. NSFAS also pointed out that some accommodation providers accepted students without confirming the finalisation of their funding, adding complexity to an already fraught process. These statements, while factually accurate, expose a cycle in which no single actor takes full responsibility, yet the consequences fall squarely on students. The United Democratic Movement (UDM) notes that this crisis persists year after year for reasons that straight reporting can only begin to explain: • Under-investment in public accommodation has left universities unable to match the rapid growth in student enrolment. Many institutions simply lack enough beds for even a fraction of students who need them. • NSFAS funding allocations, caps and timelines remain misaligned with real accommodation costs and academic calendars. Students arrive before their allowances are paid and before accommodation placements are finalised, often with no interim support. • Private accommodation markets have expanded in the absence of sufficient public options, but high rents and safety concerns mean that private housing is out of reach for many students and is not a true substitute for university-linked residences, • Coordination failures between NSFAS, universities and private providers create bottlenecks in accreditation, payment and placement decisions. Each year the same breakdowns occur because systemic coordination has never been fixed. The result is predictable i.e. students arrive with hope and ambition, only to find themselves without a safe place to sleep, study or rest. This is not about isolated mishaps at a single campus. It is about a policy vacuum where capacity, planning and student welfare are treated as secondary to enrolment figures. The perennial nature of this crisis speaks to leadership failure across the sector. The UDM urges that: 1. Government and NSFAS immediately align funding timelines with academic calendars and accommodation market realities. 2. Institutions adopt transparent placement criteria, backed by interim housing solutions for students still waiting for beds. 3. Long-term investment in public student housing must be prioritised, especially for TVET and CET students who are too often excluded from structured accommodation support. 4. Private accreditation and regulation must be strengthened so that student experience is protected and affordable. Students should never have to sleep outside campus to pursue their education, yet here we are, again. It is time for real, lasting solutions.
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09 Feb, 2026
More electricity tariff hikes, same failures
Statement by Zandile Phiri, Acting Secretary General of the United Democratic Movement The United Democratic Movement (UDM) notes the recent decision arising from the re determination of Eskom’s electricity tariffs, following a court ordered correction of regulatory calculations, which will result in further increases in electricity prices over the next two financial years. South Africans are once again being asked to pay more for electricity not because the system has improved, but because years of poor management, governance failures, and operational decay at Eskom continue to be shifted onto the public. The approval of further tariff increases confirms a painful truth. Ordinary households, small businesses, and municipalities are paying for Eskom’s mistakes. Cost overruns, delayed maintenance, mismanaged capital projects, and leadership instability have not been absorbed by Eskom as an institution, but are repeatedly recovered through higher tariffs, turning mismanagement into a permanent burden on the people. While Eskom and regulators point to technical processes and financial corrections, the lived reality is simple. Electricity is becoming more expensive without becoming more reliable, eroding public trust and undermining the social contract that underpins any functional public utility. At the same time, the UDM is clear that the growing culture of non-payment of electricity bills cannot be ignored or excused. Non-payment deepens Eskom’s financial crisis, destabilises municipalities, and shifts greater costs onto compliant consumers. A sustainable electricity system requires both competent governance at Eskom and responsible conduct by consumers. Non-payment is often a symptom of deeper failures, including unaffordable tariffs, collapsing municipal billing systems, unemployment, and the erosion of trust caused by load shedding and poor service delivery. Addressing non-payment therefore requires more than enforcement alone. It requires credible billing, protection for indigent households, and restored confidence that payment leads to reliable and fair service. Regarding the court ruling, it must be stated honestly that the judgment did not endorse Eskom’s performance or absolve it of failure. The court found that the National Energy Regulator of South Africa erred in its earlier regulatory calculations and directed a lawful re determination. This was a legal correction, not a validation of Eskom’s governance record. The UDM is further concerned that these tariff increases arise from fundamental regulatory error. When regulators fail, the consequences are not technical. They are felt directly by households and businesses through higher prices. This undermines confidence in regulation and reinforces the perception that the public is routinely asked to absorb the cost of institutional failure. The court ruling does not change the underlying reality. South Africans are paying today for failures that should have been prevented years ago. Regulatory processes may smooth tariffs, but they cannot erase the damage caused by mismanagement, weak accountability, and delayed reform. The UDM maintains that meaningful relief will only come when failure carries consequences. Eskom cannot be allowed to operate in a system where mistakes are socialised while accountability is endlessly deferred. Consumers must not be treated as the insurer of last resort. South Africa needs a power utility that is competently managed, transparently governed, and accountable, alongside a payment culture that is fair, realistic, and rooted in trust. Without both, tariff increases will continue and public anger will deepen. The UDM will continue to press for accountability at Eskom, stronger regulatory oversight, protection for vulnerable households, and decisive action to restore a fair and functional electricity system. The people cannot be asked to pay indefinitely for failures they did not cause.
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09 Feb, 2026
The slow collapse: banal corruption and state failure
Statement by Zandile Phiri, Acting Secretary General of the United Democratic Movement Recent reports of queue jumping and the exploitation of desperate citizens at offices of the Department of Home Affairs expose a form of corruption that is often ignored precisely because it appears small, routine, and ordinary. This is not grand corruption involving dramatic scandals or massive sums of money. It is banal corruption: the everyday abuse of a malfunctioning system, where inefficiency becomes profitable and desperation is quietly monetised. When access to identity documents, birth certificates, or civic registration depends on who can pay a small bribe or find a “fixer”, corruption has been normalised. This is not a new phenomenon, but one that has steadily worsened over time, nor is it confined to the Department of Home Affairs alone. If grand corruption is a robbery, banal corruption is termites in the walls. By the time the building collapses, everyone swears they did not notice the damage. Yet it is this slow, continuous erosion that weakens the state long before any spectacular collapse occurs. Banal corruption leaves a trail that South Africans know all too well. It is visible in roads that crumble months after being “rehabilitated”; in water and sanitation projects that consume millions yet never quite reach completion; in wastewater plants that repeatedly fail compliance without consequence. It is seen in clinics without medicine, ambulances without fuel, schools without textbooks, and housing projects that stall while contractors are paid. It is present in municipalities that cannot produce basic records, where audit findings are repeated year after year, and where failure carries no personal cost. At Home Affairs, banal corruption feeds on long queues, broken appointment systems, understaffed offices, weak supervision, and the absence of visible accountability. Informal queue-jumpers and fixers thrive not because the system is complex, but because dysfunction is tolerated and allowed to become a business model. The greatest victims of banal corruption are the poor and vulnerable. Those seeking documents for grants, school registration, employment, or healthcare are exploited precisely because they cannot afford to wait indefinitely or return repeatedly. What should be a basic constitutional right becomes a daily humiliation. Banal corruption can be defeated, but only if government confronts it deliberately and consistently. This requires fixing the conditions that allow it to exist by restoring functional systems, predictable turnaround times, and orderly queues that cannot be manipulated or sold. It requires visible management at frontline offices, clear service standards, and strict supervision of high-risk points of service delivery. Most importantly, it requires real and visible consequences. Officials who enable, ignore, or benefit from petty corruption must face swift disciplinary action. Quiet transfers and internal reshuffles are not accountability. Consequence management must be public, consistent, and unavoidable. Government must also draw a firm line between politics and administration. Political interference in queues, procurement, staffing, or service prioritisation is a major driver of banal corruption and must end. A professional, protected public service is essential if integrity is to be restored. Whistleblowers and ordinary citizens must be protected and empowered. Reporting corruption must be safe, simple, and worthwhile. Silence thrives where people believe nothing will change and retaliation is guaranteed. The UDM cautions that focusing only on headline corruption scandals while ignoring these everyday abuses is a serious error. Banal corruption is the seedbed of larger corruption. It normalises dishonesty, erodes discipline in the public service, and teaches citizens that the state only works for those who can pay. A state does not collapse overnight. It collapses quietly, one compromised queue, one incomplete project, one normalised injustice at a time. Confronting banal corruption is therefore not optional. It is essential to restoring trust, dignity, and the rule of law.
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09 Feb, 2026
From forecast to failure: South Africa’s disaster readiness crisis
Statement by Zandile Phiri, Acting Secretary General of the United Democratic Movement In light of the recent Orange Level 5 severe thunderstorm warnings issued by the South African Weather Service for parts of KwaZulu-Natal, together with flooding alerts affecting the Eastern Cape and other regions, the United Democratic Movement (UDM) expresses serious concern about South Africa’s preparedness and resilience in the face of increasingly frequent and severe weather events. These impact-based warnings make clear that climate-related risks are no longer isolated incidents but structural threats that demand a capable and coordinated response from the state. South Africa is experiencing more intense rainfall, flooding, heatwaves, droughts, and storms that place lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure at risk. While adverse weather cannot be prevented, its consequences can and must be mitigated through proper planning, infrastructure maintenance, and competent governance. The UDM is deeply concerned that many municipalities remain dangerously ill-prepared for extreme weather. Inadequate stormwater systems, neglected roads and bridges, failing electricity infrastructure, and unsafe human settlements continue to turn foreseeable weather events into humanitarian crises. When drains are blocked, rivers unmanaged, and informal settlements located in flood-prone areas, it is ordinary communities who suffer the most. Disaster management in South Africa remains largely reactive rather than preventative. Early warnings are routinely issued, yet they are too often treated as communications exercises instead of operational triggers. Municipalities fail to clear stormwater systems, secure vulnerable infrastructure, prepare emergency shelters, or position response teams despite clear forecasts. When damage and loss of life follow, these outcomes are framed as unforeseen disasters rather than the predictable result of ignored warnings and poor planning. The UDM reiterates that climate change is no longer an abstract debate. It is a lived reality for millions of South Africans, particularly the poor and working class, who are most exposed to floods, droughts, food insecurity, and infrastructure collapse. Climate adaptation and resilience must therefore be embedded into national, provincial, and municipal planning, budgeting, and infrastructure development. South Africa’s growing vulnerability to extreme weather is not the result of limited capacity. It is the consequence of leadership failure. The country has the technical knowledge, policy frameworks, and resources to manage climate-related risks, yet communities continue to suffer because political will is absent, municipalities are allowed to decay, and infrastructure is neglected without consequence. The UDM rejects the normalisation of disaster under these conditions. When credible early warnings exist, loss of life and widespread damage cannot be blamed on nature alone. They reflect failures of governance, planning, and accountability. The state has a constitutional duty to protect communities from foreseeable harm, and repeated failure to translate warnings into preventative action represents a serious breach of that duty.
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19 Jan, 2026
UDM calls for decisive government action as Limpopo flood death toll rises
Statement by Zandile Phiri, Acting Secretary General of the United Democratic Movement The United Democratic Movement (UDM) expresses its deepest condolences to the families and communities affected by the devastating floods that have struck Limpopo Province, particularly in the Mopani and Vhembe Districts. The tragic loss of at least 17 lives is a painful reminder of the human cost of extreme weather events and the vulnerability of many of our communities. We extend our heartfelt sympathy to all families who have lost loved ones, homes, and livelihoods. Many residents have been displaced, critical infrastructure has been damaged, and access to basic services has been disrupted. These floods have left communities traumatised and in urgent need of assistance. While the UDM acknowledges the efforts of emergency services, disaster management teams, and humanitarian organisations currently on the ground, we stress that disaster response must be swift, coordinated, and adequately resourced. Government at all levels must ensure that affected families receive immediate relief, including shelter, food, medical care, and psychosocial support. The UDM further calls on national and provincial authorities to prioritise long term disaster preparedness and climate resilience. Flooding is no longer an exceptional occurrence but an increasingly frequent reality. This demands serious investment in stormwater infrastructure, early warning systems, maintenance of riverbanks and bridges, and proper spatial planning that protects communities from preventable harm. As a member of the Government of National Unity, the UDM urges all spheres of government to work together without delay to ensure that relief efforts are effective and transparent, and that reconstruction places the dignity and safety of affected communities at the centre of recovery plans. We also urge residents to heed official warnings and avoid crossing flooded rivers and roads, as conditions remain dangerous. Saving lives must remain the foremost priority. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and will hold government accountable to ensure that no community is abandoned in the aftermath of this disaster.
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19 Jan, 2026
32 years of neglect: South Africa’s water crisis is manufactured
Statement by Zandile Phiri, Acting Secretary General of the United Democratic Movement South Africa is staring down a water emergency that has been decades in the making. The warnings now coming from within government itself confirm what communities have lived with for years: collapsing infrastructure, chronic leaks, failing storage systems, and a state that no longer plans for the future. The Director General of the Department of Water and Sanitation, Sean Phillips, has made it clear that the country’s water problems are deep, structural, and cannot be fixed quickly. This is not a sudden crisis. It is the predictable outcome of 32 years of neglect, mismanagement, and failure to invest in basic infrastructure. Gauteng residents are now being told to cut water consumption by as much as 40 percent, not because South Africa has run out of water, but because municipalities lack storage, lose vast volumes through leaking pipes, and fail to collect revenue. This is an indictment of governance. Households are being asked to sacrifice while billions of litres are lost every year through decaying infrastructure that was never maintained. The situation in Johannesburg is especially alarming. Despite having a technically sound water and sanitation turnaround plan, the City is unable to implement it because of severe financial distress. Contractors are not paid. Projects are abandoned. Funds generated by water services are diverted to cover other municipal pressures, despite National Treasury requirements to ring fence this revenue. This is not a lack of ideas. It is a collapse of discipline, accountability, and political will. The reality is that municipalities across the country are trapped in a vicious downward spiral. High levels of non-revenue water mean less income. Less income means poor maintenance. Poor maintenance leads to further infrastructure failure and even greater water losses. Communities pay the price through outages, rationing, and unsafe supply. Long term relief will only come when major supply projects are completed, but even here the story is one of delay and corruption. Strategic water projects that should have been completed years ago are now only expected late in the decade. South Africans are being asked to endure restrictions today because planning failed yesterday. What is emerging in Gauteng is already visible in other metros, including eThekwini, where leaks, limited storage, flooding damage, and excessive consumption mirror the same warning signs. Regions such as Nelson Mandela Bay and Knysna are facing drought conditions that place millions at risk. This is a national crisis, not an isolated municipal problem. Water has now replaced electricity as the main constraint on economic activity and daily life. Without reliable water, clinics cannot function, schools cannot operate, businesses cannot grow, and human dignity is stripped away. South Africa does not suffer from a lack of expertise. It suffers from a lack of consequence. The UDM has consistently warned that infrastructure cannot be wished into existence through speeches and plans that are never implemented. Maintenance, storage expansion, leak reduction, and disciplined financial management must happen together. Anything less is failure. The time for excuses has passed. South Africa needs urgent, coordinated action to protect water as a strategic national resource. The cost of continued failure will be paid not in reports, but in lost livelihoods, deepening inequality, and growing social instability.
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12 Jan, 2026
Honouring the class of 2025 while confronting the truth about our schools
Statement by Zandile Phiri, Acting Secretary General of the United Democratic Movement The United Democratic Movement (UDM) extends its sincere congratulations to the Class of 2025 on the release of the National Senior Certificate results. These results represent more than academic outcomes. They reflect perseverance, sacrifice, and resilience by learners who completed their schooling journey under challenging social and economic conditions. We commend the learners who succeeded, not only for their results, but for the discipline and determination required to reach this milestone. We also recognise educators, school support staff, parents, guardians, and communities whose collective effort played a decisive role in supporting learners throughout the year. Education remains a shared national responsibility, and where communities stand together, young people are better equipped to succeed. At the same time, the UDM cautions against celebrating pass rates without confronting the deeper realities within the basic education system. While progress must be acknowledged, it must not be used to conceal persistent inequalities between schools, unsafe and dilapidated infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms, shortages of learning materials, and weak administrative oversight. These challenges continue to deny many learners an equal opportunity to realise their full potential. We are particularly concerned about learners who did not achieve the outcomes they hoped for. Their futures must not be written off or ignored. Government has a responsibility to ensure that meaningful post school pathways exist, including access to second chance programmes, skills training, TVET colleges, and community education opportunities. No young person should be abandoned at the point of disappointment. The UDM reiterates that strong matric results do not automatically translate into a healthy education system. True success will only be measured when every learner, regardless of geography or background, learns in a safe, well-resourced school and is supported by a capable and accountable state. We call on the Department of Basic Education to act decisively on the findings of investigations into systemic failures, to enforce accountability where there has been negligence, and to prioritise infrastructure, teacher support, and learner welfare as matters of urgency. Community support strengthens schools, but government must remain fully accountable for delivering quality basic education. To the Class of 2025, we say this. Be proud of your effort. Your worth is not defined by a single set of results, but by your determination to keep moving forward. The UDM remains committed to advocating for an education system that is fair, inclusive, and worthy of the aspirations of South Africa’s youth.
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10 Nov, 2025
From job offer to captivity: how human traffickers prey on South Africa’s desperate
Statement by Zandile Phiri, Acting Secretary General of the United Democratic Movement Human trafficking in South Africa has become a national emergency hiding in plain sight. It is destroying lives through sexual exploitation, forced labour, and debt bondage, and it thrives on poverty, desperation, and the failures of the state to coordinate an effective response. Recent reports have exposed the scale of this crisis. Three young women from Botswana were rescued at OR Tambo International Airport after being lured through social media with false promises of lucrative jobs in Sierra Leone. A 22-year-old woman from Bonteheuwel was tricked into travelling to Thailand, later trafficked to Cambodia, and forced into work after her passport was confiscated. In Johannesburg, seven Chinese nationals were convicted earlier this year of human trafficking after exploiting more than ninety Malawian workers, including thirty-three minors, in a garment factory where they were kept under guard and paid R65 a day. In the past year, investigations have revealed houses in Sandton, Johannesburg, and Durban where dozens of foreign nationals were held captive by trafficking syndicates. In one incident in March 2025, more than 50 people escaped from a house in Lombardy East, and in May 2025, 44 victims were rescued from a locked property in Parkmore, Sandton. Similar discoveries have been made in Durban, exposing a network that uses residential properties as holding sites for victims awaiting transport across borders. It is reported that less than one percent of victims is ever rescued. At the centre of this tragedy are employment scams that promise opportunity but deliver slavery. These operations exploit South Africa’s severe unemployment, preying on people desperate for income or a chance to work abroad. Our joblessness has become a recruitment tool for traffickers, and the state has done too little to close that door. The problem is compounded by weak coordination among law-enforcement agencies, poor data collection, and a lack of capacity in social services. Police, immigration, labour inspectors, and welfare officials often work in isolation, while traffickers move people freely across borders and provinces. Corruption and bureaucracy slow down victim identification, shelter placements, and prosecutions. South Africa’s porous borders worsen the crisis. Traffickers exploit weak controls and under-resourced posts to move victims alongside migrants and contraband. Until border management is tightened, corruption addressed, and regional intelligence improved, the country will remain a key corridor for trafficking across southern Africa. The United States Trafficking in Persons Report has again warned that South Africa is failing to identify victims, prosecute offenders, or coordinate a national response. The country’s placement on the Tier 2 Watchlist signals growing international concern over its weak efforts to combat trafficking. Unless coordination and enforcement improve, South Africa risks further sanctions and the erosion of its global credibility on human rights. The UDM calls for decisive action to break this cycle of exploitation and neglect: 1. A national anti-trafficking strategy led by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, bringing together the South African Police Service (SAPS), Department of Home Affairs, Department of Employment and Labour, Department of Social Development, and reputable civil society organisations under one command structure with measurable targets and real accountability. 2. Public awareness and prevention campaigns coordinated by the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, in partnership with Basic and Higher Education, to educate communities about fake job offers, social-media recruitment, and passport confiscation; especially in provinces with high unemployment such as Mpumalanga, Limpopo, and the Eastern Cape. 3. Protection and reintegration services for victims managed by the Department of Social Development and provincial governments, with the support of accredited NGOs, to ensure safe shelters, counselling, and job placement programmes so survivors can rebuild their lives without fear or stigma. 4. Enforcement of labour laws and regulation of recruiters overseen by the Department of Employment and Labour and the SAPS, with heavy penalties for those who exploit undocumented workers, confiscate passports, or deceive jobseekers. Inspections must be routine and unannounced, and corrupt officials must be prosecuted. 5. Investment in youth employment and skills development driven by the Departments of Employment and Labour, Trade, Industry and Competition, and Higher Education and Training, working alongside the National Youth Development Agency and private sector partners. Preventing trafficking begins with creating real, sustainable opportunities at home through job creation, apprenticeships, and skills programmes that give young people viable alternatives to risky job offers and exploitation. 6. Strengthened cross-border cooperation spearheaded by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation and the Border Management Authority, working with SADC partners to dismantle trafficking networks, share intelligence, and ensure the safe repatriation of victims. Human trafficking is not only a criminal enterprise but a profound moral failure that strikes at the heart of our nation’s values. South Africa cannot claim to be a democracy that protects human rights while allowing syndicates to trade in human lives with impunity. The UDM calls on government to act with urgency, unity, and compassion to protect the vulnerable, prosecute the guilty, and restore integrity to our borders and institutions. Every victim rescued is a life reclaimed, but true victory will come only when no person in South Africa can be bought, sold, or enslaved.
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23 Oct, 2025
Gambling away the future: UDM demands action on online betting and NSFAS misuse
Statement by Zandile Phiri, Acting Secretary General of the United Democratic Movement South Africa is witnessing a moral and social emergency. Gambling has become a trillion-rand industry feeding on the hopes of the poor, the unemployed and the young. According to the National Gambling Board, more than R1.5 trillion was wagered in the 2024/25 financial year, a staggering 45 percent increase from the previous year. What was once a leisure pastime has now become a mechanism of mass economic extraction that drains households, deepens poverty, and destroys families. The United Democratic Movement (UDM) is alarmed by the evidence that gambling is no longer limited to casinos or horse racing. The proliferation of online betting platforms, aggressive advertising, and the use of celebrities and social media influencers have normalised gambling across society. For millions of South Africans, it has become an illusion of escape in a reality of joblessness, debt, and despair. Clinical experts warn that gambling addiction is rising sharply, driven by smartphone access and constant exposure to digital marketing. As people chase losses, they borrow, steal, or beg to sustain the habit. These are the symptoms of a society where the line between hope and exploitation has been erased. The UDM is particularly disturbed by reports that students are gambling with their National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) allowances. Young South Africans entrusted with public funds meant for food, accommodation and study materials are using these allowances to bet online. This is not a story about moral weakness. It is a story about desperation, systemic neglect, and an absence of accountability from institutions that should protect them. Universities and NSFAS cannot continue to look away while students are being consumed by the very system meant to lift them out of poverty. Government’s failure to regulate online gambling, curb advertising excesses, and enforce existing laws has turned this crisis into a national tragedy. The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, the National Gambling Board, and the National Gambling Policy Council must act immediately to: 1. Regulate online gambling platforms and close legal loopholes exploited by unlicensed operators. 2. Restrict advertising and influencer marketing, especially content that glamorises gambling or targets youth. 3. Introduce responsible gambling education at tertiary institutions and within communities. 4. Ensure that NSFAS and universities implement monitoring systems to prevent misuse of allowances and support students who fall into addiction. 5. Strengthen and better resource the national gambling helpline and expand access to counselling and rehabilitation services, ensuring that support reaches schools, universities, and communities most affected by addiction.. The UDM calls for the issue of gambling and its devastating social and economic consequences to be formally placed on the agenda of the National Dialogue. This matter cannot remain at the periphery while it destroys lives and undermines social stability. The National Dialogue must confront how gambling, poverty, and inequality intersect, and develop coordinated solutions that protect vulnerable citizens, especially young people and low-income families. South Africa cannot claim to build a just and equal society while it profits from the despair of its own people. The UDM calls for urgent government action, stronger laws, and accountability from every institution that has allowed this exploitation to flourish.
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21 Oct, 2025
Lawlessness endangers South Africa’s public servants and essential workers
Statement by Zandile Phiri, Acting Secretary General of the United Democratic Movement Across South Africa, the safety of government employees and frontline workers has become a matter of grave concern. In Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape, municipal staff have been repeatedly targeted while performing their duties. Workers were robbed at gunpoint in municipal offices, and others have refused to return to the field after experiencing violent attacks. The situation in the city mirrors a wider climate of fear in which public servants are exposed to criminality with little protection, even as they try to deliver essential services under difficult conditions. In Soweto, Johannesburg firefighters came under attack this week while responding to a shack fire in the Elias Motswaledi Informal Settlement. Residents stoned the fire truck, damaging a brand-new emergency vehicle that had only recently been added to the city’s fleet. This shocking incident reflects a deeper anger and frustration in communities facing poverty, overcrowding and slow service delivery. But it also shows a collapse in respect for those who come to protect life and property. Elsewhere in the country, we understand that authorities have been forced to declare certain areas as high-risk zones where emergency personnel may not enter without a police escort. These so-called Red Zones illustrate just how dangerous the working environment has become for public servants. The arrangement is inconsistent and often delays help to communities that are already in crisis. It stands as a stark reminder that lawlessness now dictates the limits of service delivery, and that frontline workers must depend on armed protection simply to do their jobs. The threat to safety does not stop with municipal or emergency workers. The crisis extends to the police themselves. In Kimberley, a female police officer was violently assaulted in full uniform while performing her duties in the city centre. The incident, which was captured on video and circulated on social media, shocked the nation and exposed the growing hostility faced by law enforcement officers. In Khayelitsha, protesters recently torched police vehicles during demonstrations over electricity and service delivery grievances. These events reveal a dangerous collapse of respect for the rule of law and for those tasked with upholding it. When officers are attacked and their vehicles set alight, it sends a clear message that criminals and opportunists no longer fear accountability. Such lawlessness not only threatens the lives of police officers but also undermines the very foundations of public safety and community trust. The UDM calls for decisive and coordinated action: 1. National and provincial governments must prioritise staff safety by conducting urgent risk assessments across municipalities, especially in high-risk zones, and by ensuring that field workers and emergency responders have the protection and support they need. 2. Law enforcement agencies must act swiftly and visibly against perpetrators of violence directed at public service employees. Impunity feeds chaos and without justice, respect for public authority will continue to erode. 3. Government and communities must rebuild trust. Many of these attacks stem from frustration over failed services, but nothing justifies violence. Dialogue, transparency and accountability must replace confrontation and destruction. 4. All public institutions must invest in trauma counselling and staff wellbeing. Psychological harm cannot be ignored. It affects morale, performance and service continuity. The UDM reiterates that South Africa cannot claim to value public service while allowing its servants to become victims. Respect for those who dedicate their lives to helping others is the foundation of a lawful, caring and functional state. Until law and order are restored and the dignity of public service reclaimed, the dream of a safe and working South Africa will remain out of reach.
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21 Oct, 2025
South African creativity takes the world stage: UDM salutes Wim van den Heever
Statement by Zandile Phiri, Acting Secretary General of the United Democratic Movement The United Democratic Movement (UDM) extends heartfelt congratulations to Pretoria-based wildlife photographer Wim van den Heever on winning the 2025 Wildlife Photographer of the Year award, presented by the Natural History Museum in London. In a nation often defined by its passion for sport, it is time for the arts to shine with equal recognition. South Africa’s painters, photographers, writers and performers carry the same spirit of excellence, discipline and national pride that we celebrate on the playing field. Their achievements remind us that creativity is not a luxury but a force that shapes identity, strengthens unity and tells the stories that statistics cannot capture. When we invest in and honour our artists, we invest in the imagination that keeps our nation alive. Mr van den Heever’s striking photograph, “Ghost Town Visitor,” which captures a rare brown hyena moving through the sand-filled ruins of Kolmanskop in Namibia, is a breathtaking fusion of art and environmental awareness. It reflects a decade of meticulous preparation and deep respect for the natural world, qualities that define true mastery. Mr van den Heever’s achievement is more than artistic recognition; it is a national moment of pride that reaffirms South Africa’s place among the world’s creative and conservation leaders. It reminds us of the urgent need to protect endangered species and fragile ecosystems that stand as living symbols of our continent’s identity. His work demonstrates how artistic excellence and environmental stewardship can strengthen one another, inspiring both global awareness and local responsibility. It also promotes Southern Africa’s reputation as a destination where creativity, wilderness and cultural heritage meet, giving renewed energy to eco-tourism and photographic travel. Above all, his success encourages a generation of young South Africans to pursue their talents with discipline and vision, knowing that the world is listening. The UDM celebrates this moment as proof that South Africa’s stories, told through its people, its landscapes and its enduring creativity, continue to inspire the world.
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20 Oct, 2025
Class of 2025: Good luck matrics
Statement by Zandile Phiri, Acting Secretary General of the United Democratic Movement The United Democratic Movement (UDM) extends its best wishes to all matric learners across South Africa as they begin writing their final National Senior Certificate examinations tomorrow. This is a defining moment in the lives of young South Africans who have worked hard and persevered through many challenges. The UDM acknowledges the dedication of learners, teachers, parents and guardians who have supported this journey, especially in communities where resources are limited and conditions are often difficult. Education remains the most powerful tool to change lives and build a just and prosperous nation. The UDM therefore calls on government to ensure that all examination centres are safe, well-resourced and free from disruptions that could disadvantage learners. Every matriculant deserves a fair opportunity to succeed. To the Class of 2025, write with confidence, focus and determination. Your future and the future of our country depend on your success. Your success is South Africa’s success. The UDM wishes you strength and focus for the coming weeks.
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14 Oct, 2025
The fire next door: South Africa’s neglected settlements
Statement by Zandile Phiri, Acting Secretary General of the United Democratic Movement Each shack fire leaves behind not only ash but a reminder of South Africa’s unfinished promise of dignity for all. The United Democratic Movement (UDM) calls attention to the growing pattern of fires in informal settlements as a crisis of governance and human rights that demands immediate national intervention. In recent weeks, blazes in Masiphumelele, Umbilo and Sivilcon have claimed lives, displaced hundreds of families and destroyed thousands of homes. These tragedies expose a deep failure of planning, service provision and accountability in the management of urban and peri-urban settlements. In Masiphumelele, Cape Town, one person died, and 80 residents were left homeless after 20 informal dwellings were reduced to ash. In Umbilo, Durban, more than 170 structures were lost in a single blaze. In Sivilcon, Pretoria, 70 shacks burned within minutes, displacing over 150 residents. Between September 2024 and February 2025, 2 860 informal structures burned down nationwide. The Western Cape was the hardest hit, with 2 088 structures destroyed during this period, about 73% of the national total. The pattern is the same across our cities: crowded conditions, flammable materials, unsafe wiring, lack of access roads and the absence of formal infrastructure turn every spark into catastrophe. Recent research confirms that a single blaze can consume twenty shacks within five minutes under mild wind conditions. Behind these numbers are human beings who lose homes, possessions, documents and loved ones. Entire communities are forced to start again from nothing. Relief agencies such as Gift of the Givers and local NGOs step in to provide blankets and meals, but the cycle repeats because prevention has never been institutionalised. Shack fires are not accidents of poverty. They are the direct outcome of policy neglect and institutional failure. For years, government authorities have treated informal settlements as temporary spaces rather than permanent communities deserving of basic services. By withholding electricity, water, roads and fire hydrants, municipalities have entrenched conditions that make these areas unsafe and unliveable. This denial of infrastructure is not accidental. It is a consequence of choices that have left millions of South Africans exposed to preventable tragedy. Studies in South Africa and internationally have shown that electrified settlements experience far fewer fires than those relying on candles, paraffin or illegal connections. The solution, therefore, is not endless training and disaster relief, but systematic electrification and incremental upgrading. South Africa cannot continue to treat shack dwellers as people who must live and die by candlelight. Urban design interventions must start from the reality that most informal settlements are already densely built and cannot simply be redesigned. Safety improvements must therefore be achievable within existing layouts. Many settlements still rely on a handful of communal taps or irregular water supply, leaving residents defenceless during fires. Government must prioritise the installation of reliable communal taps within reasonable distance, ensure maintenance of pressure and supply, and coordinate with emergency services to provide mobile water tanks in high-risk areas. These practical measures, developed together with residents, can save lives without uprooting communities. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction recognises uncontrolled informal-dwelling fires as a significant global threat to life and well-being. South Africa’s own disaster management frameworks must therefore include fire prevention in informal settlements as a priority hazard category. Prevention, preparedness and risk reduction must take precedence over reactive relief. The UDM calls for the following actions: 1. The Department of Electricity and Energy must fast-track a national audit and phased electrification programme for all informal settlements, prioritising high-density areas most at risk of fire. 2. The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs must ensure that every municipality integrates shack-fire risk reduction into its Disaster Management Plan and allocates ring-fenced funding for prevention, not only emergency relief. 3. The Department of Human Settlements must improve basic infrastructure within informal settlements by creating safe access routes for emergency vehicles and expanding water access points to support firefighting efforts. 4. The Department of Statistics South Africa must strengthen data collection, research and analysis on shack fires to capture their human, technical and environmental causes, and ensure that findings are publicly reported to guide prevention strategies. 5. The Department of Local Government must work with communities to establish fire-safety units trained and equipped to serve as first responders using extinguishers, alarms and communication tools. 6. The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition must promote partnerships with innovators developing technologies such as heat-based early-warning systems and community micro-insurance models that reduce losses, enable faster recovery and strengthen resilience. 7. The Government of National Unity must end the policy of classifying informal settlements as “temporary” to justify the denial of basic services. Safety, dignity and equal access to infrastructure are constitutional rights, not privileges. Every shack fire is a mirror of our national priorities. It reflects the unfinished business of spatial justice and the failure to treat poor communities as full citizens. Lives continue to be lost because authorities have normalised living without infrastructure. The UDM urges the Government of National Unity to make the prevention of shack fires a national governance priority. South Africa must replace fragmented relief efforts with a long-term programme for electrification, upgrading and safer living conditions. Words of sympathy will not rebuild what negligence destroys.
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13 Oct, 2025
Heartbreak on South Africa’s roads: safety of passengers should never be overlooked
Statement by Zandile Phiri, Acting Secretary General of the United Democratic Movement The United Democratic Movement (UDM) is deeply saddened by the devastating loss of lives following the shocking bus accident that occurred on the N1 North, near Ingwe Lodge in Limpopo, yesterday, and the taxi accident that left 18 children injured on the N3 highway near the Mariannhill Toll Plaza in KwaZulu-Natal this morning. Our thoughts and sincere condolences go out to the grieving families, survivors, and everyone affected by these painful incidents. These tragedies are a tender reminder of how fragile life is. Moments of national sorrow such as these remind us of the ongoing challenges facing our transport systems. Every journey, whether short or long, depends on a transport network that must be both reliable and safe. Consequently, we must confront the conditions that allow some of these accidents to happen. South Africa’s transport infrastructure and enforcement mechanisms must be strengthened as a matter of urgency. It is imperative to have regular and consistent vehicle inspections to determine the roadworthiness of cars, buses, taxis, and scholar transport vehicles. Equally important is ensuring that drivers transporting passengers, particularly schoolchildren, hold valid Professional Driving Permits (PrDPs) and comply fully with all safety requirements. Regular vehicle inspections and strict adherence to roadworthiness standards are critical in preventing such tragedies. The safety of passengers should never be overlooked. As a country, we must continue to strengthen our transport infrastructure and promote a culture of safety and accountability. These tragic incidents should compel authorities to prioritise transport safety and to reinforce monitoring systems. Such measures are essential to a broader national commitment to safeguarding lives on our roads.
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12 Oct, 2025
South Africa’s kidnapping epidemic: it can happen to anyone
Statement by Zandile Phiri, Acting Secretary General of the United Democratic Movement The United Democratic Movement (UDM) is deeply disturbed by the growing wave of kidnappings that continues to grip our country. In the most recent case, a man was rescued on the R80 highway in Tshwane from a vehicle whose occupants were found with blue lights, firearms, and clothing marked with police insignia. This shocking incident shows how criminals now exploit public trust in law enforcement to entrap and terrorise innocent citizens. For the UDM, this crisis is not an abstract statistic. In June last year, our Deputy President, Nqabayomzi Kwankwa, was abducted in Driftsands while on his way to Cape Town. He was tied up, robbed, and released only after a ransom was paid. That experience reminded us that in today’s South Africa, it truly can happen to anyone, public figures and ordinary people alike. Research and police data confirm that only a small fraction of kidnappings involve long-term ransom demands. The overwhelming majority occur during hijackings and armed robberies where victims are restrained, forced to withdraw money, or used to access bank accounts. These short, opportunistic abductions, known as express kidnappings, are now among the most common forms of the crime. It is reported that on average, two such incidents take place in South Africa every day. A particularly cruel development is the growing use of forced ransom calls. Victims are often made at gunpoint to phone their families or employers and demand payment for their own release. What begins as a robbery or hijacking quickly turns into extortion, as kidnappers blend methods to maximise profit and fear. Families are thrown into panic, transferring whatever funds they can while the perpetrators vanish before police can respond. This shows how organised and ruthless these syndicates have become. Women and girls are among the most frequent and vulnerable victims of these crimes. Many are abducted while commuting, working, or attending school, and face the added dangers of sexual assault, trafficking, and gender-based violence. The trauma inflicted on women and children extends beyond the individual, leaving entire families and communities living in fear. Addressing kidnapping therefore also means confronting the broader crisis of violence against women and girls in our society. The rise of blue-light gangs, fake police operations, and express kidnappings paints a grim picture of a country where safety can no longer be taken for granted. This crisis demands urgent and coordinated action. If criminals can so easily impersonate law enforcement, how are South Africans supposed to know who to trust on the road? Citizens should never have to fear that stopping for a flashing light could cost them their lives. Government must urgently review the visibility, identification, and conduct of genuine police officers, including clear roadside verification systems, properly marked vehicles, and public education on how to confirm an officer’s identity without putting oneself in danger. The UDM calls for: 1. A national crackdown on blue-light gangs and police impersonation, with full accountability for anyone found complicit or negligent and stricter control over the sale and use of sirens, uniforms, and police-branded apparel. 2. The strengthening of anti-kidnapping and crime-intelligence task teams in every province, with specialised capacity to respond to express and ransom kidnappings. 3. Comprehensive protection and psychosocial support for victims, especially women and girls, including trauma counselling, safe-house access, and integration with gender-based violence services. 4. Public education and safety-awareness campaigns to inform citizens about express kidnappings, blue-light stops, and what to do if a loved one is abducted or forced to make ransom calls. 5. Partnerships between law-enforcement agencies, banks, and mobile-payment platforms to detect suspicious withdrawals and transfers made under duress, supported by real-time alert systems and panic PIN technology. 6. Faster prosecution and harsher sentencing for kidnapping, extortion, and police impersonation, with dedicated prosecutors and priority dockets in the courts. 7. A national task force on kidnapping and organised crime, coordinated through Parliament and the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster, to drive reforms in intelligence, data sharing, and victim support. Kidnapping has become a daily threat to South Africans. It is no longer a crime of the few against the wealthy but a reflection of our broader failure to protect citizens and uphold the rule of law. The UDM calls on the Government of National Unity (GNU) to treat crime and public safety as a true national-security emergency. The GNU must show unity in action, not only in words, by restoring faith in policing, strengthening intelligence, and ensuring that every South African can live, work, and travel without fear. Our people deserve a government that makes their safety one of its primary priorities.
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09 Oct, 2025
Dlamini 2.0: How Social Development is sliding back into scandal
Statement by Zandile Phiri, Acting Secretary General of the United Democratic Movement The United Democratic Movement (UDM) is deeply concerned by the avalanche of revelations exposing the collapse of governance, accountability, and ethics within the Department of Social Development (DSD) and the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA). Recent reports from the Auditor-General and Parliament confirm what the UDM has warned for years: that a department meant to be the moral anchor of our democracy has regressed into a web of mismanagement, patronage, and disregard for the poor. Allegations surrounding Minister Sisisi Tolashe’s conduct have plunged the portfolio into scandal. The appointment of a 22-year-old Chief of Staff, the reported romantic relationship with a special adviser, and the extravagant R3 million trip to New York, all paint a disturbing picture of arrogance and impunity. The dual role of Minister Tolashe as both ANC Women’s League President and head of a department responsible for welfare programmes has raised questions about partisan influence over state resources. This is not the first time that the Department of Social Development (DSD) has been brought into disrepute under the leadership of an ANC Women’s League President. South Africans will remember former Minister Bathabile Dlamini, who left behind a trail of corruption, negligence, and constitutional violations. She presided over the 2017 social grants crisis that nearly collapsed SASSA, was found guilty of perjury by the courts, and had earlier been convicted for her role in the Travelgate scandal. The parallels are disturbing. What the country is witnessing today under Minister Tolashe is Dlamini 2.0, another example of a department seemingly captured by political insiders, mired in scandal, and indifferent to the suffering of the poor. The latest report from the Auditor-General confirms that the DSD has regressed in performance and financial management. Persistent irregular expenditure, vacant posts, and weak internal controls continue to undermine delivery. At the same time, SASSA, once a cornerstone of social protection, has become synonymous with chaos. Payment failures, technical breakdowns, and corruption have repeatedly left millions of pensioners, people with disabilities, and child grant recipients destitute. The crisis at Postbank and its dependency on the collapsing South African Post Office (SAPO) illustrate the state’s failure to separate financial operations from logistical ruin. Postbank, which is still in transition to becoming a stand-alone state bank, relies heavily on SAPO’s broken infrastructure. This entanglement has crippled SASSA’s payment system and created an endless cycle of system failures, contract extensions, and beneficiary suffering. The UDM calls for: 1. An independent forensic investigation into all contracts, expenditures, and appointments linked to SASSA and Postbank, including the R3 million New York trip. The Portfolio Committee on Social Development, working with the Auditor-General and the Public Service Commission, must lead this process. 2. The urgent separation of Postbank from the failing Post Office. The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies must pull up its socks and fast track the implementation of the Postbank Amendment Act to make Postbank a fully independent, modern, and secure state bank. The Department must also accelerate SAPO’s reform through modernisation, digital transformation, and diversification of postal services. South Africans cannot continue to suffer because the state insists on patching up two failing institutions instead of reforming them. 3. A full audit of the social grant payment system to guarantee reliability, transparency, and protection from political interference. 4. Stronger parliamentary oversight to ensure that social protection serves the poor and not political insiders. Behind every scandal is a pensioner who sleeps hungry, a child whose grant is delayed, and a family whose only income disappears in bureaucratic confusion. The DSD has lost its moral compass. It is unacceptable that those who rely most on the state should pay the highest price for government incompetence. As a committed partner in the Government of National Unity, the UDM will not remain silent while the poor are betrayed by those entrusted to serve them. The GNU was established to restore credibility, rebuild ethical governance, and deliver on the promise of a capable state. It cannot succeed if some of its members treat public office as a personal fiefdom. The President must ensure that accountability is not applied selectively and that all departments, including Social Development, reflect the values and discipline that the GNU was created to uphold. Social development should be the conscience of the state, not a playground for self-enrichment. The UDM urges the Government of National Unity to act decisively to clean this department, restore integrity, and protect the dignity of our people. The welfare of South Africans cannot continue to depend on a ministry drowning in scandal and a payment system built on failure.
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07 Oct, 2025
Assault on Kimberley police officer: gender is not the story, lawlessness is
Statement by Zandile Phiri, Acting Secretary General of the United Democratic Movement The United Democratic Movement condemns in the strongest possible terms the recent assault on two police officers who were performing their duties in Kimberley’s central business district. The video of the attack, which has gone viral, is a disturbing reflection of the growing hostility toward law enforcement officers in our communities and the erosion of respect for the rule of law. The gender of the one officer should be immaterial. Whether male or female, no police officer should face physical harm or humiliation for performing their lawful duties. To highlight the gender of the one officer, as if the assault were more shocking because she is a woman, is the wrong logic entirely. It subtly reinforces the false and dangerous notion that women are somehow less capable of enforcing the law or managing conflict in the field. What happened in Kimberley is not about the strength of a woman but about the weakness of public discipline. The real issue is that criminals and ordinary citizens alike now believe they can defy, insult, and attack law enforcement officers without consequence. This is a clear sign that respect for authority and public order has collapsed. Law enforcement officers stand at the frontline of public safety. When they are attacked, it is not only an assault on an individual but on the authority of the state and on the safety of every South African. Communities cannot call for safer streets while simultaneously undermining and brutalising those tasked with maintaining them. At the same time, the South African Police Service (SAPS) must reflect deeply on how it interacts with the public. Many communities have lost confidence in law enforcement because of corruption, brutality, or neglect. SAPS must work intentionally to rebuild trust through fair, respectful, and community-based policing. Restoring public faith in the police will not only protect officers but also strengthen partnerships with residents who are often the first to see or report criminal activity. A police service that listens, serves, and respects citizens will find that respect returned. The UDM calls on SAPS to ensure that the perpetrators face the full force of the law and that consistent national measures are taken to protect officers on duty. Police morale, discipline, and safety are national priorities that require leadership and visible consequences for acts of defiance. We also urge community leaders, civic organisations, and faith-based institutions to play their part in restoring respect between citizens and the police. Building a safer country requires trust, cooperation, and the understanding that the law applies equally to everyone. No uniformed officer should ever fear for their safety while serving their nation. The time has come to restore both order and trust in South Africa’s streets.
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06 Oct, 2025
Time to end the tavern killings and restore public safety
Statement by Zandile Phiri, Acting Secretary General of the United Democratic Movement The United Democratic Movement (UDM) is deeply disturbed by the latest mass shooting at a tavern in Zithobeni, Bronkhorstspruit, where five people were killed and six others injured on Saturday night. According to police reports, armed men stormed the establishment, disarmed a patron, and opened fire indiscriminately as people tried to flee for their lives. Over the past year, South Africa has witnessed a wave of similar tragedies that have turned ordinary social spaces into crime scenes. These include mass shootings in Mokokotlong informal settlement in Orange Farm, Pienaar outside Mbombela, TK's Tavern in Sebokeng in the Vaal, the Bloemfontein CBD, Umlazi township of Durban, and the Choba informal settlement in Tshwane. In each of these incidents, lives were lost in cold blood while families were left to grieve and communities to live in fear. This growing pattern of violence shows a country under siege, where heavily armed criminals act without restraint and the state appears powerless to stop them. Communities have every reason to feel abandoned. The right to safety and security enshrined in the Constitution has become meaningless when gunmen can walk into a tavern, home, or taxi rank and slaughter innocent people without fear of arrest or prosecution. The social fabric of our nation is being torn apart by unchecked criminality, poor policing, and the proliferation of illegal firearms. The UDM believes this is not merely a policing issue but a symptom of deeper systemic failure i.e. the collapse of local intelligence networks, the erosion of visible policing, and the absence of proactive crime prevention in vulnerable communities. South Africa urgently needs a coordinated national audit of firearms in circulation, including a focused review of lost, stolen, and unaccounted-for weapons from police, military, and private security stockpiles. This audit must be supported by forensic tracing of ballistic evidence, tighter control of firearm licensing systems, and an intelligence-driven effort to dismantle illegal gun trafficking networks. The goal is not to count weapons in criminal hands, but to close the loopholes that allow them to get there. The UDM calls for: 1. A national audit of illegal firearms and a comprehensive crackdown on gun smuggling and trafficking networks feeding this violence. 2. Dedicated tavern safety and compliance units within the SAPS to monitor and protect high-risk venues, working with local business and community policing forums. 3. Immediate deployment of intelligence-led operations to disrupt organised criminal networks that use taverns and shebeens as targets or recruitment hubs. 4. A cross-departmental safety strategy led by the Ministers of Police, Small Business Development, and Social Development to strengthen community resilience and ensure responsible management of social spaces. 5. Swift justice for the victims of these massacres through fast-tracked investigations and specialised prosecution teams. As a partner in the Government of National Unity, the UDM will continue to push for urgent and coordinated reforms in policing, intelligence, and firearm control. The safety of South Africans must be treated as a national priority, and every arm of the state must be mobilised to end this cycle of violence once and for all.
