Admin
14 Apr, 1998
Agreement between Botha and the TRC welcomed
Statement by Co-leader of the UDM The UDM throughout the process requested that it be made possible for Mr. Botha to appear before the TRC. Article 29 of the Truth and Reconciliation provides for hearings of the TRC to take place in camera. The UDM believes that Mr. Botha’s evidence before the TRC is important in order to get information as perceived by the previous government. All South Africans will benefit from this agreement and it can play an important part in the reconciliation process. The evidence of Mr. Botha will add to the TRC’s ability to adequately complete its task. Mr. Botha’s evidence is vital in providing the full picture and should add to a balanced final report from the TRC. The UDM congratulates the parties involved in reaching this agreement.
Admin
05 Apr, 1998
UDM makes considerable progress with policy formulation
Statement by the Interim National Management Committee The Interim National Management Committee of the UDM met on Friday 3 and Saturday 4 April 1998. A number of key issues were discussed during the two days. The Committee made considerable progress in the further development of UDM policy. The focus of the workshop was to take the UDM forward beyond the National Conference in June 1998. In this regard a strategic planning session was held, determining the priority areas that will be concentrated on in the run up to the elections. The political situation in South Africa was discussed at length and provinces highlighted to the National Structure the political challenges in the different provinces. The restructuring at National office was discussed and the INMC endorsed the decision taken by the Leadership and the CEO in this regard. Focus will now move towards mobilisation of the voters in the enrolling of members and the further development of branches and structures throughout South Africa.
Admin
05 Apr, 1998
Membership terminated: two members
Statement by the Interim National Management Committee At a scheduled INMC meeting of the UDM on 3 and 4 April 1998, a decision was taken to terminate the membership of Paulo Andrade and Joel Mafenya with immediate effect. The INMC found it necessary to take this step on the grounds that their conduct have been judged improper, unbecoming and have adversely effect the interest and reputation of the UDM. Andrade and Mafenya will have 10 days, until noon on 14 April 1998, to make use of their right to access to further adjudication according to clause 5.4(b) of the interim constitution of the UDM.
Admin
03 Feb, 1998
Paying for university education
Statement by Media and Marketing Director (03 February 1998) The decision by the South African University Vice Chancellors’ Association that students owing money to a university, will be refused entry to the institution, and the subsequent confrontation at the University of the Western Cape, were both perhaps unavoidable actions. With a load of R500m of unpaid study accounts, our universities just cannot continue to function properly, also in the light of decreasing government subsidies. Students, who in the past had a ‘free’ university education, also because of politically motivated lenient fee policies, cannot comprehend why the situation now has to change. The fact is that we are normalising society, and tertiary education as part of it. Our country just does not have the financial resources to provide free tertiary education; it is also not a social service that other democratic states offer. There are therefore three issues at stake here: Administrative discipline from universities to ensure study fee payments to keep our universities institutions for training and research excellence. Discipline from students not to attend university without paying, to start regarding payment for services rendered as a necessity, ‘the right thing to do’ and not as a burden to be avoided if possible. A creative look at generating study fees: many students pay for their studies by part-time work or by first working for a few years after matric in order to raise enough money. With the scarcity of jobs, other ideas such as community bursaries and even study stokvels may be investigated. Fact is, where there is a will, there must be a way. Let us be creative about it, but also moral.
Admin
02 Feb, 1998
South Africa’s competitiveness
Statement by UDM President and Deputy-President The surprising rating of South Africa’s competitiveness as 7th among 23 African countries by the World Economic Forum should be a clear wake-up call if we want to develop a world-class country within ten years. The main reasons for our poor performance are essentially the pessimistic business perceptions of South Africa, with the high crime rate as the most bedeviling factor, and the low ratings regarding the training and productivity of our labour force. These factors are all to a degree controllable by government: the crime rate warrants even stricter and more holistic measures in the form of a policy concerning civil order, and further economic reforms in order to alleviate massive unemployment in our country. The pressure is also squarely on the shoulders of the education system to supply a labour force of adequately-trained workers, especially in the fields of science, mathematics and languages. Productivity is a further issue which should be addressed primarily during education and training. The vision of making South Africa a world-class country in ten years’ time, is one that will require our national focus on all sectors of government and private companies. We will have to outlive the past and solve all our problems and shortcomings jointly as South Africans. That is the challenge that we need to grasp, the opportunity that we should transform into reality.
Admin
29 Jan, 1998
Inquiry into Shaw affair
Statement by Media and Marketing Director The sordid contract by the Central Energy Fund (CEF) with Emmanuel Shaw II will now, to the relief of taxpayers and proponents of clean, corruption-free government, hopefully be terminated. The UDM urges the Minister of Mineral and Energy Affairs to immediately implement the recommendations of the departmental investigation. Terminating Mr Shaw’s contract immediately, investigating possibilities of recovering expenses related to the contract and terminating the CEF’s board’s term not later than March 31, seem to be the first steps needed to be taken in this regard. Minister Penuell Maduna will do well to scrutinise his department to rid it of all irregularities like these. He will also benefit from not listening to bad advice. His accusations against the Auditor-General is very much still in the public eye, an event which has since not been brought to finality. In the spirit of transparency and good governance, this matter still needs to be settled publicly. The UDM awaits developments in this department and ministry.
Admin
26 Jan, 1998
Provinces need to heed national schools policy
Statement by Media and Marketing Director In these times of transformation, special care has to be taken by the national education department to communicate policy effectively and efficiently, and by the provincial departments to implement it accordingly. In this way, much frustration and unnecessary incidents can be prevented. In our schools, policies should be implemented in the best interest of existing pupils and school communities, but also towards potential pupils who sometimes have few options as to available schools. Language policy in itself is an extremely sensitive issue with implications towards nation-building and the accommodation of diverse communities in our nation. Although the national language policy in our schools seems reasonable and pragmatic, care has to be taken when implementing it, especially by our provincial education departments, in order to respect both the letter and the spirit of the policy. This has been lacking when dealing, for example, with the situation in Rob Ferreira School in Witrivier.
Admin
26 Jan, 1998
Opposisie politiek: onwelkom of verkeerd aangebied?
verklaring deur Media en Bemarkings Direkteur Tim du Plessis raak in sy artikel “Opposisie is uit” reeds in die eerste paragraaf ook aan die ooglopende antwoord. Die UDM glo dat net so min as wat die “redding en heil” vir Suid Afrika in die “klasieke liberale demokrasie” lê, net so min is die rol van opposisiepartye en opposisie – politiek in die klassieke liberale rol van opposisiepartye gesetel. Die vraag is nie watter groeperinge in die land vir- sterk opposisie en watter daarteen is nie, maar veel eerder die herdefiniëring van opposisiepartye se rol in die Suid Afrikaanse politiek. Alle onafhanklike meningsopnames sedert die begin van 1997 het getoon dat die ANC as meerderheidsparty steun verloor. Dit het verder aangedui dat geen van die bestaande parlementêre politieke partye by hierdie verlies van steun baat nie. Die stemme swerf dus nog rond. Hierin lê daar twee boodskappe : Ondersteuners van die ANC is wel bereid om hul affiliasie met die ANC te beëindig, en geen van die huidige parlementêre partye bied ‘n alternatief vir hierdie swewende stem nie. Wanneer die DP en die NP mekaar dus die stryd aansê oor wie nou werklik die effektiefste (lees luidrugtigste) opposisieparty is, verander dit weining aan die werklike politieke prentjie nie. Ja, die DP mag dalk in die proses ‘n paar stemme van die NP wegneem maar die meerderheid kiesers van die land sien steeds nie vir hulself ‘n sielkundige tuiste by enige een van die twee partye nie. Hoe dan ook anders as opposisiepartye hulself as effektief beskou wanneer hulle Nelson Mandela beledig, stem teen wetgewing wat die lewenskwaliteit van die meerderheid van Suid Afrikaners verbeter, en al hul parlementêre aksies daarop dui dat hulle hul huidige (wit) magsbasis probeer konsolideer. Die UDM, anders as die NP en die DP, het nie nodig om te probeer swart steun trek om as geloofwaardig beskou te word nie. Die meerderheid van die UDM steun is swart, mense wat reeds weg van die ANC vir hulself ‘n politieke tuiste by die UDM gevind het. Die UDM bied aan alle Suid Afrikaners wat wil deel wees van vooruitgang, wat konstruktief wil help bou aan die nuwe Suid Afrika, so ‘n politieke tuiste. Die UDM sien sy rol na die 1999 – verkiesing verder ook, nie as die van opposisie nie, maar as deel van die regering. Daar is sekere uitdagings wat die land nou in die gesig staar, uitdagings wat suksesvol opgelos moet word in die breër belang van Suid Afrika en sy mense. Landsbelang moet nou bo kleinlike, party – politieke belang gestel word. Dit is hoe die UDM ook sy politiek in die komende jaar en as deel van regering na 1999 sal bedryf. Dit beteken nie dat ons nie krities sal wees wanneer nodig nie, maar dat kritiek so gelewer sal word dat die finale besluit steeds positief beïnvloed kan word. Waar die regering in landsbelang programme implementeer, sal die UDM hul steun en samewerking in die verband gee. Sou die regering egter in partybelang eerder as landsbelang optree, sal die UDM deur sy deelname dit uitwys en alternatiewe verskaf. Die feit dat die NP uit die Regering van Nasionale Eenheid onttrek het, beteken nie dat opposisiepartye nie ‘n konstruktiewe rol het om te speel nie. Dit dui slegs op ‘n onvermoë van die NP se kant om die rol te kon vervul. Die uitdaging vir opposisiepartye is dus nie om net te skree en raas nie. Dit is veel eerder om die regering in die opstel van sy nasionale prioriteite te beïnvloed en toe te sien dat die ooreengekome prioriteite die nodige aandag ontvang. Indien opposisiepartye nie instaat is om dit te doen nie, dan is die skrif werklik aan die muur en kan die kieser tereg vra oor wat die doel en nut daarvan is om te stem. Wanneer hy stem verkies die landsburger nie net partye as opposisiepartye nie, maar kies hy hulle ook as deel van die regering. Suid Afrikaanse politieke partye loop die risiko dat die kieser hom kan agterlaat. Die grootste uitdaging in 1999 mag dalk juis wees om die kieser by die stembus te kry – dit moet verhoed word. Dieselfde geld vir die rol van die media. Terwyl ons in ‘n stadium in ons land se geskiedenis is waar dit gaan oor die vestiging en ontwikkeling van die demokrasie behoort die media ook deel van die opleidingsproses te wees. Die boodskap moet ook van die media kom in die daarstelling en bepaling van prioriteite. Die media het ook ‘n rol om te prys waar nodig en te kritiseer waar gefaal word. Die media, in die beskerming en ontwikkeling van ons brose demokrasie, het ook nodig om die alternatief vir die kieser te stel: alternatiewe menings, standpunte en alternatiewe oplossings. Alles gedoen op ‘n regverdige, objektiewe wyse, ten doel om ‘n ingeligte kieser daar te stel. Sou dit die benadering van almal betrokke wees dan sien ek nie dieselfde donker prentjie as wat Tim skets nie. In die UDM glo ons, dat ons saam die oplossings kan vind – gesetel in Suid Afrika se ryk verskeidenheid.
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