UDM News & Events Calendar - United Democratic Movement

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08 Oct, 2013

Workshop with Branch Chairpersons and Secretaries of the UDM in Limpopo

Address by Mr Bantu Holomisa, MP (UDM President) at a workshop with Branch Chairpersons and Secretaries of the UDM in Limpopo on Saturday, 6 July 2013 Members of the UDM NEC; Limpopo Provincial Leadership; UDM Public Representatives; Ladies and Gentlemen; I welcome you in the name of party building. Thank you to all of you who have come today to make this Provincial Workshop possible. To the organisers and facilitators of this workshop, thank you ever so much for your hard work. Workshops are an integral part of our party building strategy because they help us to sharpen our axes for our political work. They are a critical way of keeping us abreast of latest developments in the political arena, which enables us to be responsive to the needs of the communities we serve. I have said it many times before; the ground is fertile for us to go out and grow the United Democratic Movement (UDM) in every corner of Limpopo as well as in other provinces. This is because the ruling alliance is imploding and this has handicapped service delivery in all spheres of government. The fact that, in April this year, I was here to collect a list of service delivery complaints from the people of Limpopo, bears testimony to this. This list was thereafter forwarded to President Zuma for attention and action. The leadership of this Province has done a sterling job of encouraging communities to come forward with their service delivery complaints and concerns. I am aware that the Presidency, working together with the office of the Premier, dispatched senior government officials to look into those complaints. We should not rest until the Premier’s Office has given us service delivery plans for the areas in question with clear timeframes. When one looks at the list of service delivery complaints, one discovers that they have one thing in common. That is: public representatives have either failed to consult, or account, to the people about service delivery. Democracy is subverted when elected politicians do not consult and account to the electorate, and when they deliberately misinform the public about some of their decisions. We should do everything in our power to ensure that this does not happen. We should use the list of complaints as a tool to campaign for the 2014 National and Provincial Elections, because we now know what our people’s service delivery needs are. We should also use this list as a tool to hold public representatives to account for service delivery in this province. This is the only way in which we can make improvements both in the pace and quality of service delivery. Ladies and Gentlemen, The UDM has warned many times that, unless something is done about the high levels of corruption in Government, we are on the slippery slope to anarchy and dysfunction. Corruption in Government is widespread despite assurances to the contrary. Nowhere is this more evident than in the extent to which National Government went to prevent the Public Works Task Team Report on Nkandla, which lays bare all the corruption that took in this project, from coming out. Another example where the ruling party condones corruption is what took place in Tlokwe Municipality (Potchefstroom). Here ruling party councillors voted their mayor out of office for the second time and handed the mayorship to the Democratic Alliance (DA). These councillors have publicly stated that they had so done because the African National Congress (ANC) mayor is corrupt. However, instead of working with its councillors in fighting corruption, the ruling party chose to expel them with immediate effect. This occurred despite the fact that none of them were brought before a disciplinary hearing. This begs the question: “Can we trust them to fight corruption when their actions both in private, and in public, condone it?” What comes out clearly from the Tlokwe Municipality incident is that ours is a controlled democracy, in which people are punished for exercising their democratic rights, for the simple reason that their decisions are not in line with the wishes of the masters from the palace. We need to double our efforts in calling for the review of the current electoral system, which makes politicians accountable to political parties instead of the electorate. The other practice that you need to strongly oppose is the allocation of the Country’s resources along ethnic and regional lines. You will recall that recently we wrote a letter to President Zuma requesting him to intervene in the looting of state resources taking place at the Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa (USAASA), a portfolio organisation under the Department of Communications. Apart from asking for strong action against corruption and maladministration, the letter also calls for the broadband infrastructure to be rolled out fairly and equitably, because it is currently skewed in favour of certain regions and ethnic groups. For instance, in the first phase of Government’s infrastructure broadband rollout project, 23 out of 33 sites that are targeted for this programme are in KwaZulu-Natal, while only eight are in Mpumalanga and two in the North West Province. The question now remains: “What criteria did Government use to roll out this infrastructure and why have other provinces been sidelined in this project?” The implication of this skewed infrastructure rollout programme is that learners from other Provinces will not have access to computer laboratories with internet connectivity. This reminds us of the failed Verwoerdian policies, which sought to improve the education of one sector of our society at the expense of others. The letter to President Zuma has been circulated to your structures. However, should you require more copies, feel free to ask National Office for assistance. As from the 15th of July 2013, we must circulate this letter to traditional leaders’ kraals, communities, businesses, churches, schools and School Governing Bodies around the Province so that they can see for themselves what we are talking about. We should mobilise civil society to sign a petition demanding that computer labs be rolled out to schools in this and other Provinces as soon as possible. We have to stop this discrimination! This is not what our struggle heroes fought for. However, a long-term solution to this problem revolves around ensuring that the composition of future cabinets truly reflects the demographics and the geographical spread of South Africa. This will ensure that government not only understands the challenges facing the people, but it is also responsive to the needs of all the communities across the country. I want to motivate you to go out and work hard; we should host a UDM provincial congress in Limpopo by the end of September this year. With branches that are properly constituted you will be ready when the time comes for the compilation of party lists for Parliament and the Provincial Legislature. I encourage the women and youth of Limpopo to claim their space; use the UDM as a vehicle to ensure that your are properly represented in Parliament and the Provincial Legislatures. Roll up your sleeves; go out and spread the gospel; make sure that you change your destinies and that of the people of Limpopo. Best wishes with the workshop and all your endeavours to build the UDM in this Limpopo. Thank you.

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08 Oct, 2013

Funeral Service of Mr Ntopile “Prof” Kganyago

Address by Mr Bantu Holomisa, MP (UDM President) at the Funeral Service of Mr Ntopile “Prof” Kganyago held at the Seshego Stadium, Seshego, Limpopo on Saturday, 27 July 2013 Programme Directors, The Kganyago family; in particular his wife and children UDM NEC Members, Provincial Executive Members of the UDM in Limpopo, Presidents of the UDM Youth Vanguard and Women’s Organisation Members and Parliament and Provincial Legislatures Leaders and representatives of political parties, Distinguished guests, UDM Members, Ladies and gentlemen, WHY WE CALLED HIM “PROF” I have yet to come across a person who knew Mr Ntopile Kganyago as anything else but “Prof”. He sometimes said it caused him embarrassment because he was not a “professor”. He was however, widely regarded as a pedagogue (a teacher or professor in other words) and that is why the name stuck. In the UDM, we knew him by no other name; he was just that; our teacher; our “Prof” and like all true pedagogues, he was the eternal student; he always asked questions until he was sure that he was on top of a discussion. WHAT NTOPILE KGANYAGO DID FOR UDM Ladies and gentlemen, Today we are paying our last respects to a pioneer that helped establish the UDM. This he did at a time when the political situation was volatile and it was considered a taboo to form and join a new political party in South Africa. Prof took this risk despite the notoriety of the UDM for its strong stance against corruption. We commend him for the conscious decision he took to help establish and join a party that advocates for adherence to the principles and ethics of good governance in both the public and private sectors. His academic qualifications would have guaranteed him senior positions of leadership in society, but Prof chose to invest his time, effort and expertise towards making the UDM project a success. Prof, we salute you for your courage and commitment! South Africa needs more people of Prof’s calibre to continue where he left of in the fight against corruption; people to help develop and entrench a culture of selfless service in the public sector. Most people laughed at Prof and the UDM Limpopo Provincial leadership when they were batting on the wicket of anti-corruption. However, today even some of the doubting Thomases admit that Prof and his crew have been vindicated on most, if not all, the acts of corruption they were trying to expose. Prof was a humble man. In 2004, when former President Thabo Mbeki chose him to serve as Deputy Minister of Public Works, I phoned him to break the news, he, inquisitive as always, asked what it meant to be a minister [ad lib]. Prof said at the time that he could not believe the trust placed in him. The Parliamentary Portfolio Committees, where Prof so diligently served, has lost an important voice which gave intellectual impetus to their work. He also led the UDM team in our discussions with other political parties around the possibility of co-operation during the 2014 National and Provincial Elections. South Africans are keenly aware that we are witnessing a deviation from the original agenda; with the backlogs and imbalances of the past accumulating. Prof’s departure has left a void and we have to go out and bolster the UDM’s machinery in Limpopo. We have to work harder than ever before and pull together to fulfil Prof’s mission to fight the scourge of corruption, poverty, inequality, the lack of education and joblessness. Let us not disappoint him. WHAT WE, AT THE UDM, WILL REMEMBER ABOUT PROF Prof had an excellent sense of humour and he loved to tell stories. The thing about this custom was that he always tried to teach a lesson, or make you understand, using his natural style. He enjoyed laughing and we will miss his expression of spontaneous and boisterous joy. Prof was, and always will be, universally loved by each member of the UDM. We acknowledge the role he played in this Party and the manner in which he touched so many lives during his time on earth. He is now with our Heavenly Father, and we say: “Thank you Prof, you have worked hard, it is time to rest”. VOTE OF THANKS To the UDM members and supporters who have attended both Thursday’s memorial service and those here today, thank you for showing that we appreciate Prof’s contribution to our Party. To each person here today, thank you for honouring his memory. The fact that so many people put aside their busy lives to mourn with us, is a testimony to Ntopile Kganyago’s character and the impact he had on our lives. We say: thank you Prof for your example, your time, your dedication and loyalty, your enthusiasm, your sense of humour, the lessons you taught and, your stories. We will sorely miss you. To Prof’s family, thank you for sharing him with us, it was not always an easy road, but you never shirked in your support of him. Thank you for sustaining him whilst he was sustaining us. Phumla ngoxolo. Robela ka Kgotso Thank you

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08 Oct, 2013

Mr Bantu Holomisa on Political Realignment

Lecture by Mr Bantu Holomisa, MP (UDM President) on political realignment at the University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park Campus on Thursday, 01 August 2013 Programme Director, University Management and Academics, Young Intellectuals, Ladies and Gentlemen Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today. INTRODUCTION It has been more than fifty years since freedom and democracy reached the shores of the African continent, although the time at which each country tasted political liberty varies from country to country. BACKGROUND AND EFFECTS OF ONE-PARTY DOMINANCE However, since the attainment of freedom and democracy, the common denominator in many African countries today is one-party dominance. Some examples that come to mind are: • The African National Congress (ANC), which has been in power since 1994 here in South Africa. • The Zanu-PF of Zimbabwe, that has been in power since independence in 1980 and the • The Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) that has been in power since their independence in 1960. The negative effects of one-party dominance are numerous. Chief among them, however, is the conflation of “the party” and “the state”. The Eskom/Hitachi/Chancellor House deal in which the ruling party gets a share of the spoils every time Eskom increase the price of electricity, is a case in point. This corrupt behaviour unfortunately extends to most government departments and institutions in South Africa. The ruling party’s cadre deployment policy in which loyalists are deployed to senior positions in the public sector, without regard for their competence and suitability, is another negative effect of one-party dominance. One-party dominance in South Africa has also resulted in a situation, where the ruling party does not account to the electorate regarding progress on service delivery, the failures and the challenges. As I am speaking to you, the levels of complacency and arrogance among the ruling elite have reached crisis proportions. While this occurs, opposition parties have to operate on shoestring budgets and with inadequate resources. POLITICAL REALIGNMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA It is against background that the United Democratic Movement (UDM) took a decision, as far back as 1999, to engage other political formations in discussions about the need to realign South African political landscape. We took this decision primarily because, as a party, we felt and still feel that, under the present government, the nation is not on track in fulfilling the original agenda – which is to improve the lives of all South Africans. Ladies and Gentlemen, Our version of political realignment does not refer to a ganging up of opposition parties against the ruling alliance, but rather a re-grouping of people around new concepts that were brought up in the wash of momentous political change over the years. We feel this should not be difficult to accomplish given the fact that political parties already have common concerns with regards to matters like: the current economic policies that cause unemployment and poverty; corruption; service delivery, education, health, environment and civil disobedience. Fortunately, sister opposition parties heeded our call. In 2008, the first version of the Multi-Party Forum was established. This forum included both parties both inside and outside of Parliament. Despite the many achievements of the Forum since 2008, there have been many stops and starts along the way. However, the hard work and commitment to place the country back on the path to the original agenda is what has kept us together. We have also drawn courage and lessons from the fact that a precedent has been created in different places in the world where, political parties with different interests, work together without losing their identities. In fact, we have a perfect local example. Look at the ruling party, where communists, capitalists, traditionalists, liberals, unionists and even their old foe, the National Party, sit at the same table and speak with same language. The results of the 2009 elections gave further impetus to the political realignment project. They showed that the South African electorate wants a system where two large parties, of similar strength and size, compete for the mandate to govern. The election results also show that the ANC lost ground in eight out of the nine provinces. Unfortunately, most opposition parties failed to capitalise on this. As a result, the ANC managed to absorb its national setback with a very strong showing in KwaZulu-Natal. This occurred due to our misreading of the state of the nation, where each party believed it had what it took to dislodge the ruling power from power on its own. As we speak, I have invited leaders of political parties to a meeting on the 12th of August 2013 in Cape Town to discuss a wide range of issues that would help us level the political playing field in the period before and beyond the 2014 elections. We are optimistic that these political parties will emerge out of this meeting with a strategy on how best to put an end to this one-party-dominance, which breeds corruption and arrogance of power. “What is the way forward, Mr Holomisa?” You might ask. WAY FORWARD In our presentation, at a the meeting of the leaders of political parties held inn Kempton Park on the 25th of January 2013, we warned our colleagues about the dangers of each party going it alone in the 2014 elections. This is because we believe that not only would going it alone be a missed opportunity, to increase political competition and provide South Africans with a credible alternative, it would also constitute a waste of resources and valuable time. In that meeting, we proposed that opposition parties contest the 2014 National and Provincial Elections under one banner, but that we retain our individual identities. This can be done by forming an alliance, which we describe as a pact or friendship agreement between two or more parties, made in order to advance common goals and to secure common interests). An alliance agreement, governing cooperation between the different stakeholders, would be drafted as soon as possible with a clear mission, vision and objectives and it should also define the role of each stakeholder. This would enable us to pursue a set of agreed upon goals, whilst each party retains their independence. The success of such an alliance depends on our ability to create a win-win outcome for all stakeholders. Ladies and Gentlemen, This task will be impossible to accomplish without your help. I encourage you to make your voices heard on this matter in order to ensure that we develop a political alternative that caters for all the interests and needs of the people of South Africa, both black and white. Thank you.

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08 Oct, 2013

Women’s Day 2013 Celebration

Address by Mrs Kholofelo Mokgawa, UDEMWO National Chairperson at a UDEMWO Women’s Day 2013 Celebration on 9 August 2013 at the Westlake Community Hall, Cape Town “A centenary of working together towards sustainable women empowerment and gender equality” TOPIC: Women’s Day: is there anything to celebrate? The answers are “yes” and “no”. YES, we should celebrate and salute women who sacrificed their lives and took it upon themselves to lead and march to the Union Building on 9 August 1956. YES, we should celebrate this day to remember the historic and powerful march of 20 000 women of all creed and colour, who stood firm like an iron fist, principled by togetherness, the “we-feeling” and unity. YES, we salute bomama Helen Josephs, Rahima Moosa, Sophia William, Charlotte Maxeke, Lillian Ngoyi and many others. Their march was a significant step towards gender equality in South Africa. YES, we should celebrate Women’s Day to recognise the contribution made by women in the fight against apartheid. Every year on this day as South African women we should remember the sacrifice, the commitment, the dedication and the unity of those women. Those women demonstrated that as women, we are strong, we are special, powerful and invaluable; The slogan used “wathint abafazi, wathint’ imbokodo uzokufa’ – when you strike the women you strike a rock. You will be crushed. These words should give us courage and we should be as hard as a rock. Storms of the struggle should instead harden us and make us stronger. On the other hand, Programme Director; gentle ladies and men the answer is a big NO. What is it that we should celebrate? When we are faced with challenges? Women’s Day might be a step in the right direction, but it is also a token of recognition in a country where the incidents of rape is rated number one in the whole world. Ladies and gentlemen is there anything to celebrate? There is nothing. To name a few, ladies and gentlemen; Women and children are treated as nothing e.g. incidents of brutal killings and abusing women and children especially during August every year. For example, the recent serial killer in Mamelodi and Atteridgeville and many others. What is the Government doing with this perpetrators if found? They arrest them today, two days later you see them walking in the street and even boasting – meaning that they will wrong you and be released tomorrow etc. Ladies and gentlemen, we live in fear – should we really claim to be free if we are confined behind high walls and sophisticated security only because we fear for our safety and are the prey of our own sons and men? Another point that proves that some of us are still abused, in the area where I come from, there is a culture and belief that a woman should be lashed with a sjambok. There is a case in the deep rural area where a husband had lashed his own wife with a sjambok and when realizing that his own child of about 1 ½ year was crying while the mother was beaten. The husband threw the sjambok down, took the child with his one hand and start beating the wife with that child. My dear gentle ladles and men, women in black rural communities are still far from overcoming challenges and obstacles of gender equality and sustainable empowerment and togetherness because they still struggle and fail to overcome the domestic and gender based violence as a result of: Limited, unaffordable or no bus or taxi services; Slow response times by police and ambulance services; Poor and expensive telecommunication services; Large distance to public versus child care if travel is necessary; Few support services for abused women and children; No safe accommodation for women if they need to live their homes; High rate of unemployment and underdevelopment, resulting in women struggling to pay for necessities , travel, accommodation or costs of separation or relocation; Application forms for protection order are only available in two languages i.e. English and Afrikaans; Furthermore, forms are not available in Braille and sign language interpreters are not readily available in courts; There is no provision for traditional courts to issue protection orders; despite the fact that there is currently about 1 500 customary courts operating in South Africa; and Finally, customary law lack specific rules dealing with gender based violence. Ladies and gentlemen, we cannot say we are free when some women are still humiliated by those who are suppose to render social services to them e.g. institutions, like magistrate offices to name a few, which to our knowledge are official custodian of law, are the ones that are ridiculing and humiliating our beloved sisters and daughters. Women are supposed to claim maintenance on behalf of their children from their biological fathers. Good people, instead of them receiving such type of a service, they are made to queue for months and are told that whatever maintenance money received is send to Pretoria first before it can be redistributed after some months. Ladies and gentlemen should we say we are free? As women we are entitled to all human rights as stipulated in the Constitution of South Africa. We should be treated with respect and dignity regardless of colour and creed. Dear women LET’S KNOW OURSELVES. Life needs people who are not afraid to take decisions and remain firm. We cannot live behind masks for the rest of our lives. Ladies let’s take the spirit of 1956 of togetherness. That march of 1956 was initiated by a coalition of women’s political groups under the banner of the Federation of South African Women. My dearest gentle ladies and men allow me to conclude my speech by quoting Tata Dr Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, who refers his life of imprisonment as: “ A LONG WALK TO FREEDOM” Parallel to this, it has been a long expectation for us as South African women to make an impact in our political setting. For us to succeed we need to have a spirit of togetherness, the “we-feeling” and unity. Referring to politics in particular, Women’s Day is supposed to commemorate the women’s march of 1956, but the political activism we see today is but a shadow of 1956 spirit, let alone the existence of the Federation of South African Women coalition. The march was a significant step towards gender equality in South Africa, but, as we continue to face more challenges, the torch has been passed on to the women and men of today to work together towards sustainable women empowerment and gender equality. I thank you.

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08 Oct, 2013

Bestow the Freedom of the City of Johannesburg on the leaders of the 1956 Women’s March

Address by Cllr Thandi Nontenja, UDM Councillor in the City of Johannesburg at Special Council Meeting to Bestow the Freedom of the City of Johannesburg on the leaders of the 1956 Women’s March on 15 August 2013 Council Chambers Madam Speaker Executive Mayor Members of the Mayoral Committee Mama Sophie de Bruyn Families of the recipients Fellow Councillors Ladies and Gentlemen The United Democratic Movement (UDM) joins you in saluting the brave women who marched in 1956 to petition against legislation that required Africans to carry the pass during the apartheid era. We are to this day amazed by what those twenty thousand women did as they marched to the Union Buildings at a point in time when people went to jail for less. Their march was a significant step towards gender equality in South Africa. Under the inspired leadership of people such as Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa, Lilian Ngoyi and Sophia Williams-de Bruyn, the women of South Africa showed their resilience, political will and female solidarity. As we celebrate Women’s Month, we must however admit that we have not achieved our mission, because gender bias and discrimination remain an unfortunate factor in our country. Today’s women are faced with much more daunting challenges like HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, poverty, rape, etc. Unless as South Africans we take drastic steps to correct the social ills that are glaring in the various sectors of our society, the struggle of these courageous women will be in vain. As women leaders we must take responsibility for the legacy left by these courageous women of 1956 and blaze the trail for those who come after us. We cannot disappoint the women who passed the baton to us; and we cannot fail our girls and their daughters. Tomorrow, as we commemorate the Marikana Massacre; we share the pain and anguish of our sisters and daughters who lost their loved ones. We hope that justice will eventually prevail. The UDM is in support of bestowing the Freedom of the City of Johannesburg on bomama Helen Josephs, Rahima Moosa, Sophia Williams de Bruyn, Lillian Ngoyi. Wathint’ abafazi wathint’ imbokodo Thank you.

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08 Oct, 2013

Marikana Commemoration

Address by Mr Bantu Holomisa, MP (UDM President) on Marikana Commemoration on Friday, 16 August 2013 at Marikana Programme Director, Church and union leaders, Leaders of political parties, Mining management, Community leaders, The workers and people of Marikana 16 AUGUST 2012 I stand here and I remember when we heard the terrible news of what happened on this very soil on 16 August 2012. Indeed the South African Council of Churches (SACC), under the leadership of Bishop Jo Seoka, and the leaders of political parties visited this community to pay our respects and to hear what it was that happened. You will recall that we left here with the advice that the SACC should not leave this community to fend for itself and we are thankful that you have stayed your course. We again plead with you to not leave this area without having made sure that this community has access to proper housing, schools, roads, clinics, crèches and above all until the citizens of this country go to an Economic Indaba that will address the skewed distribution of resources which have benefited a selected few and only some regions. If we had strong civil society, after Government’s botched handling of this situation, we would have had a plan of action in place, with specified deadlines, that insured that this community received the care and services they need to have an acceptable standard of living and the disputed funding of legal representatives would not be an issue. WE MUST NEVER HAVE A REPEAT OF THIS TRAGEDY If it had not been for the harsh reality, one would not have believed that we lived in a new South Africa where it was possible for nearly 80 South Africans to be injured, and 44 to die, in one day, in a conflict between a people and their government. A year has passed and this community still has a long way to go to find healing. You still have much heartache, frustration and disappointment to process, because of not only what happened on that fateful day, but also what happened thereafter. This community, and those who find employment on the mines across South Africa, have however proved that we as a Nation have an innate strength and resilience. You have shown that we will not be defeated by that which is wrong; that we can rise from the ash, dust and grime; and that we are willing to work to find mutual trust and a brighter future for all our people. To the families, friends and colleagues of those who were injured and had lost their lives, it is not only important that we find peace in our hearts, but also peace in this community and in the workplace. I hope that all the people who form part of this community, employer and worker alike, will soon find each other. We therefore congratulate the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) and the mine management for their continued willingness to engage with one another to talk about a solution that will benefit all. CONCLUSION We will never forget what happened here, but I am sure we can all agree that some good must come from this tragedy. Things must change for the better. On behalf of the United Democratic Movement, I commiserate with those who were left behind and we appeal to all concerned, to work hard to find common ground and above all, let us never-ever have a repeat of what happened on 16 August 2012. I thank you.

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08 Oct, 2013

WSU crisis Stakeholder Meeting

Address by Mr Bantu Holomisa, MP ( UDM President) at the WSU crisis Stakeholder Meeting at Mthatha High School Stadium on Monday, 02 September 2013 Programme Director and Ladies and Gentlemen, At the funeral of the late Mr Tsengwa in Willowvale a few years ago, Bishop Mbethe expressed feelings of great sadness about the dreadful state and poor quality of our education in the Eastern Cape. His lamentation was prompted by the continuous poor matric performance of the Eastern Cape Province. He summed up the importance of education in the Eastern Cape as follows and I quote: “The Eastern Cape is not endowed with gold, but its gold has over the always been the good quality of its education.” I guess it is precisely because of this reason that the people of this Province heeded our call to meet here today to discuss and find solutions to the challenges facing Walter Sisulu University (WSU). WSU challenges are as old as our democracy itself. This university has long-standing problems, which have been allowed to recur ceaselessly. I therefore hope that our discussions today will go a long way towards identifying and solving some, if not all, of WSU’s challenges. You will recall that this meeting is an outcome of requests for my intervention from concerned parents, students, members of the public and other stakeholders about the challenges at WSU. After I was inundated with these requests, I wrote a letter to President Zuma, asking him to set up a task team to look into the crisis at WSU. President Zuma is however yet to respond to my letter. The inordinate amount of time he is taking to respond prompted me to propose today’s meeting. I took this decision because it appears that salary negotiations between the Department of Education and WSU management and employees have deadlocked and there seems to be no resolution in sight. Even last week, Mr Qonde, the Director General of the Department of Higher Education refused to alter the Department’s stance. Nor has he even tried to meet the workers halfway on their demands. His primary argument is that WSU management and employees are paid more than workers doing the same jobs at other universities. Needless to say, the crisis at WSU negatively affects the quality and access of students to education. This is more so when one considers Government’s bizarre decision to close the university. Has Government thought about what is going to happen to the students who come from other Provinces? I would therefore like to take this opportunity to urge all of us here today to working together towards finding short, medium and long-term solutions to the crisis at WSU. The role of authorities is particularly important in this regard. However, we should not hesitate to take the legal route should we sense a tinge of intransigence on their part. As we now ready ourselves for our discussions, we should do so mindful of the fact that we are not a labour court, nor are we a bargaining council. Ours is to help restore stability and normality at WSU. You will recall that I when I called for this meeting I proposed that it be presided by the South African Council of Churches (SACC). I am now going to hand over the meeting to them. But before I do so I wish to thank the UDM King Sabatha Dalindyebo (KSD) Municipality Councillors for sponsoring the marquee and the chairs for this event. I now hand the meeting over to the South African Council of Churches and in doing so wish the meeting the greatest success! I thank you.

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08 Oct, 2013

Tribute to the late Mr Krakrayo Simayile

Tribute by Mr Bantu Holomisa, MP (UDM President) to the late Mr Krakrayo Simayile, a loyal UDM member, at the Langa Sports Complex, Cape Town on Wednesday, 04 September 2013 Programme Director, The Simayile family; in particular his wife and children, UDM NEC Members, Provincial Executive Members of the UDM in the Western Cape, Distinguished guests, UDM Members, Ladies and gentlemen, On behalf of the United Democratic Movement (UDM), I wish to extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the late Mr Krakrayo Simayile. Our hearts go out to you during this difficult time. Mr Simayile or Noderi – as he was affectionately known – was a long-serving member of the UDM. He worked hard to build and grow the UDM in the Western Cape. He witnessed the murders and killings of many of our members in this Province for political reasons, without any of the perpetrators being brought to book. It is sad that today we have come here to pay our last respects to him under circumstances where there is no indication whether the people responsible for his death have been arrested. In hindsight, it would appear that we erred when we agreed to adopt the current provincial system instead of creating a unitary state. The general feeling is that the provincial system perpetuates the same evils we were trying to avoid in the former homeland system. Apart from being costly and being an administrative nightmare, the provincial system is constructed along the same racial and ethnic lines of the old homeland system. KwaZulu-Natal is for Zulus, while the Eastern Cape is for Xhosas, and so on. Here in the Western Cape you get an impression that National Government is treating this Province as if it is a federal state. For instance, I fail to understand how Ministers with national competence are always reluctant to monitor whether funds allocated to this Province are indeed being used for the betterment of the lives of the poor and previously disadvantaged communities. What stops President Zuma from calling a meeting with the Premier Zille and ask her to account for her government’s dismal service delivery performance in disadvantaged communities? It seems the governing parties are only content to use the poor and disadvantaged communities in this Province as voting cattle. One wonders whether the time has not come to review the current provincial system with a view depoliticise service delivery. I thank you.

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