Admin
17 Jul, 1998
Appointment of Super Attorney General
Statement by National Deputy-Secretary The UDM congratulates Bulelani Ngcuka with his appointment as national director of prosecutions. While The UDM believes that he does have the personal qualities for the position the UDM is however alarmed about the independence of the judicial system by what is yet another political appointment. An independent judicial system is a prerequisite for the embodiment of the South African constitution. The obligation of ensuring an independent office rests with Mr. Ngcuka. Watchdog organisations and political parties will have to strongly monitor the independence of the office of the national director of prosecutions. The UDM is alarmed about a marked trend in Mbeki’s appointments of essential positions and of centralising certain vital functions in his office. Mbeki’s management style through these appointments start to portray the image of a power hunger, wants to control everything, person. The growing trend to appoint politicians in key positions in society is setting the alarm bells off. It can not be healthy for democracy if so much power is vested in the office of one person and if essential positions in the country is filled by politicians.
Admin
17 Jul, 1998
Farm murders; appoint an independent judicial commission of inquiry
Statement by Deputy-President The continuous and systematic murders of farmers have passed a point that it can simply be brushed aside or explained away. Four times more farmers are murdered than the rest of the population. Government must take every possible action in order to ensure that an immediate end is brought to the senseless killings on farmers and the subsequent destabilization of the agricultural work force and industry. As in the case of Richmond, the UDM is calling for an Independent Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the farm killings. No progress seems to be made by the normal law enforcement agencies and the measures implemented by the ANC government are obviously unsuccessful. Communities are loosing trust in the government’s ability to protect them. The UDM previously called on government to make known the information they do have on the murder of farmers. Up to now they have failed to do so and there is a growing suspicion that the killings on farmers might be a well-calculated and executed strategy to remove farmers from their land. This very dangerous prospect needs to be fully investigated and answers need to be provided. Failing to do so will lead to further suspicion and the ANC government will have to take responsibility for this. I have arranged meetings with Police authorities during which our views and recommendations will be presented. Farmers are not only feeding the nation, but they are providing jobs to thousands of families. With every single killing taking place more and more farmers are loosing hope and are forced to leave their farms to safeguard their families. This more than often disrupt a total community, results in the loss of job opportunities and agricultural productivity dropping. The UDM would like to express its sympathy with the next of kin and the family of the latest victim Mr. André Breytenbach from the farm Ruigtevlei, Soekmekaar in the Northern Province. Mr. Breytenbach was murdered on his farm last night.
Admin
15 Jul, 1998
Richmond: Nkabinde’s house attacked
Statement by National Deputy-Secretary The house of Sifiso Nkabinde, National Secretary of the UDM and UDM KwaZulu-Natal Chairperson, was attacked last night. Nkabinde who was in the house at the time of the attack was not injured. At approximately 00:15 last night fire was opened on his house. Nkabinde fell to the floor and immediately telephoned the SAPS in Richmond. On the arrival of the patrol, Nkabinde switched on the light in his house, connected to his shop. Gunmen ran from the shop where they broke in and stole, amongst other things, cigarettes. The gunmen fled the scene. On investigating his property items lost by the attackers when they left the scene was found. Amongst these were a police pager and a pocketknife with a name on it. The spent cartridges found on the property were also police issued. Eyewitnesses saw the attackers arriving in a police Nyala of which the registration number is available. The Nyala returned to the scene to look for the attackers who fled and it was witnessed that they picked one of the attackers up in a kombi and fled with him. The UDM is disgusted with the incident and the obvious involvement of the newly deployed police in the area in the attack. Those police deployed by Mufamadi. The UDM can not but ask whether that is what President Mandela had in mind when he said that he would make use of his own means to put an end to the violence in Richmond? The UDM asked for talks, the UDM asked for an Independent Judicial Commission of Inquiry – all of it flatly refused by the ANC. The truth in the Richmond killing fields must come out and the ANC government can obviously not be trusted to bring that truth to the fore. We again repeat our call for an Independent Judicial Commission of Inquiry and ask political parties in Parliament to assist in bringing this Commission about so that the senseless loss of life in Richmond can end.
Admin
14 Jul, 1998
Richmond: ANC withdraw from provincial talks
Statement by National Deputy-Secretary The announcement by the ANC that it will not be attending the meeting called by KwaZulu-Natal safety and security MEC Nyanga Ngubane, between the UDM, IFP ANC, police and the army in Richmond raises serious questions and concerns. Through their absence, the ANC is communicating to the residents of Richmond that it is not interested in putting an end to the violence. It is obvious that personal vendettas against individuals weigh more to the ANC than the continuous loss of life in Richmond. Why is it that political point scoring is more important in the eyes of the ANC than putting an end to the killings? When the President of a country says, like President Mandela did on Sunday, that the line must be drawn on the murders then one expects the ruling party to pull out all stops in order to achieve exactly that. The UDM’s call for an independent Commission of Inquiry was immediately rejected by the ANC, the initiatives taken by the safety and security MEC in the Province snubbed at and the continuous calls for talks refused. That forces one to start questioning the ANC motives. Is it a question of them not wanting the truth to get out or simply that the continuous killings in Richmond are serving another agenda of the ANC? The UDM calls on the ANC to reconsider their decision not to participate in tomorrow’s talks. The serious situation requires that personal agendas be put aside and that a joint effort be embarked on in dealing with the sickening situation.
Admin
08 Jul, 1998
Peace talks in Richmond, KwaZulu-Natal
Statement by National Deputy-Secretary Following this statement is a letter by Sifiso Nkabinde, National Secretary and Chairman UDM, KZN to the Secretary General of the ANC, Kgalema Motlanthe. This letter is in reaction to remarks by Mr. Motlanthe as reported in the press. The UDM will continue to seek a solution in Richmond that will bring lasting peace in that area.
Admin
08 Jul, 1998
UDM’s only aim is to unite and build South Africa
Statement by UDM Gauteng Chairperson and NMC Member Dumisani Makhaye’s attack on the UDM and its leadership have no substance. In fact when one analyse it, it can only be described as a personal attack on the characters of its leaders. It is the sound of a man in fear, a man in panic, a man in doubt. A sound that the UDM is quickly getting used to. Since the launch of the UDM on the 27th of September 1997, it is a sound that was picked up more and more from the quarters of the ANC. The author in his argument commits the cardinal sin of reasoning along the racial divides of society. By doing this he also addresses the main reason for the UDM’s coming into being and for the ANC’s hysteria and paranoia with the UDM. The ANC have been selling itself as the only non-racial political party in South Africa. But, it has proved through arguments such as these that it still remains a party that analyse and operates along the racial divides of our country. With the establishment and rise of the UDM, the ANC suddenly finds itself stark naked in front of the electorate. Suddenly it is exposed for what it truly is: a party still trapped in the past, unable to break through to the future and address those challenges facing our country and its people, irrespective of their skin colour, anything but a truly non racial party. Transformation has been the buzzword since the 1994 elections. It is that which every sector of society is doing and is expected to do. However, the political landscape of South Africa did not transform accordingly. The political parties as represented in parliament still reflect their ties with apartheid: They are there either because they fought apartheid or they are there because they enforce apartheid. This inability of the political parties to break with the past results in a political debate in parliament that more than often takes on a discussion of the past. The one group blaming the past for everything that goes wrong and the other defending the past. Each time they fall in this trap they waste energy that they should rather be spending on the burning issues of today and collectively find solutions for a better future. The UDM realised that in order to achieve re-alignment of South African politics something new, free from the baggage of the past needs to be established. The UDM’s mission statement clearly outlines this ideal: ” We will unite South Africans from all communities in a new political home, built on the foundation of the principles and ideals of our National Constitution. To this end, we will address poverty and imbalances in our society, inspired by our unifying love of our Country and its people. We will set free the creative power inherent in our diversity and will co-operate with all stakeholders to ensure a quality life and individual freedom for every citizen based on good governance and civil order, towards being a Winning Nation.” The UDM’s growth since the launch in September 1997 clearly indicates that this is what South Africans want to see happening. Various leaders have called upon ordinary South Africans to unite and to build one nation. Unfortunately, it is the very same leaders that in their daily action and through heated debate, is not doing this. Their actions and words further divide and create suspicion – like the suspicion the author is trying to create in his article. The UDM will not be sidelined or silenced by this type of unfounded criticism. The UDM, its leadership and its growing number of supporters know that you can never accuse Roelf Meyer of serving his own interests or Bantu Holomisa as being a puppet. The UDM knows that Sifiso Nkabinde was found not guilty by a court of law, an institution that the UDM respects and acknowledges the independence off. Sifiso Nkabinde was elected (not appointed) by the first National Congress of the UDM because he is the best man for that position. Immediately after his release, he called for peace talks in Richmond amongst all parties. Denying this simply means that the ANC is not interested in establishing peace in the KwaZulu Natal Midlands. It suits the ANC and their political agenda to create suspicion around the person of Nkabinde – even at the cost of more lives. The UDM will not be side tracked. Our aim and objective is to silence the critics at the 1999 polls. The UDM will establish itself in the mind of the voter, irrespective from where they come and what colour their skin are, as a political alternative, looking at providing a better South Africa for all.
Admin
07 Jul, 1998
Farm attacks: decisive action demanded
Statement by National Deputy-Secretary The continuing of murderous attacks on farmers are condemned in the strongest possible terms. Every single murder in South Africa is one murder to many. Currently four times more farmers are murdered than the rest of the population. Government can no longer drag its feet in dealing with these murders. All stops must be pulled out in order to ensure the safety of the farmers, their families and their employees. The UDM calls on government to make known the information that they do have on these murders and to come out clear on whether there is any other motive behind these killings. By failing to do so suspicion will increase and the ANC government will have to take responsibility for this. Agriculture is a very important industry in South Africa. Not only does it provide jobs, but it also feeds the nation. The continuous attacks and murders on farmers can paralyse this industry. The UDM believes that these murders is another point in case for calling for a referendum on the death penalty since that may well be the only way to put an end to these senseless and inhumane actions.
Admin
05 Jul, 1998
Political hotline: a first in South Africa
Statement by National Deputy-Secretary In keeping with the UDM’s spirit of being innovative in its approach, the UDM Information Hotline will be available as from Monday, 6 July 1998. The electorate can call the UDM Hotline to get more information on the UDM. Callers will also be invited to leave a message or give some input on issues. The Hotline will provide callers the opportunity to listen to the President, Bantu Holomisa, and Deputy President, Roelf Meyer, explaining to them the policy of the UDM. Comments on burning issues facing South Africa will also be available on this service. Callers can call in and hear what the UDM’s view on the SACP/COSATU/ANC dogfight is as well as find out what the UDM think about the TRC’s decision not to investigate the atrocities committed by high profile ANC members in exile. Within the next week callers will also be able to listen to media statements issued by the UDM and get information on provincial structures and contact numbers. With this service the UDM aims at becoming more accessible to South Africans and further its approach of consultation on the challenges facing South Africa. The UDM Hotline number is 083 910 2709.
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