Admin
31 Dec, 1998
1999 and beyond
Statement by UDM President The year 1999 marks the end of one millennium and the beginning of another – it symbolises a new beginning for all South Africans. In 1999 South Africans will go to the polling stations for the first time since the liberation elections of 1994. The United Democratic Movement (UDM) believes that elections ‘99 will mark a clear break with our Country’s past. For the first time South Africans will go to the poles and in bringing out their vote they will no longer be guided by our history, but much rather by their dreams and vision for the future. South Africans will liberate themselves from voting along racial divides for racially based parties, their own origination in our Country’s past. Bafana Bafana when it is on its own on a soccer field can put up a good exhibition of soccer skills, but they can only begin to play a match when they have proper opponents on the field: Opponents that can match and challenge their own skills. The players currently on the political playing field are no match for the African National Congress (ANC). The ANC does not respect them and does not take note of them, in the process becoming arrogant in its power. After the 1999 elections this will change. The UDM will enter the political playing field as a major player, one that can match and challenge the ANC. The UDM is the only real alternative to the ANC and will play in the interest of all South Africans. May the year 1999 be the beginning of a great future for you and your family! A year in which we jointly will fight crime and concur, where South Africa will experience sustainable economic growth, a strong basis from which to fight and overcome poverty.
Admin
23 Dec, 1998
Christmas message
Statement by Bantu Holomisa and Roelf Meyer It is during the festive season that we reflect on the year that was and the year that lies ahead. South Africa in many ways has come a long way since our first democratic elections in 1994. In many other ways however very little progress was made. Democracy brought change to all of our lives. For the most part it brought us all human dignity, that in itself a gift that can not be tagged with monetary value. But, democracy did not fulfill all the expectations that came with it. Many South Africans feel no difference in the quality of life that they live. Poverty still fills our streets and threatens the well being of our nation. Too many people still do not have a roof over their heads and too many children still do not have food to eat. Crime is rampant and we live in constant fear over when it is going to be our turn to become part of official statistics. And in all of this we find that blame is attributed from one side to the other – further dividing our nation. It is our wish for this festive season that we will find within our rich diversity the united strength and will to fight the real enemies of poverty, crime and corruption threatening South Africa and all South Africans. That we as a nation will complete our struggle for total liberation during 1999. Liberating ourselves from the prejudice against each other and to be able work together in building a future that would in the process make of us all winners. Best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
Admin
15 Dec, 1998
R5 million Transnet bash a disgrace
Statement by Bantu Holomisa Spending R5 million on the inaugural trip of the second Blue Train is ridiculous. The need to market the existence of the Blue Train is not argued. The sensibility of spending R5 million while TRANSNET is talking about retrenchments does not make any sense. This spending is a clear signal that government’s priorities and the urgent needs of the country and her people differ. The government can not on the one hand tell the South African people that they are fighting poverty and on the other hand they spend millions on a luxurious image building trip for the president to be. The new Blue Train trip is nothing more than a weak excuse to enhance the image of Mbeki and to give content to the likes of the “African Renaissance” ghost. The concept of African Renaissance is not government policy, but the result of one man’s dreams. How does the ANC government then justifies spending this amount of money on this issue? The UDM believes that the money could have been put to better use inside the country by making it available through programmes to entrepreneurs who in the end would contribute to new jobs being created for South Africans. The UDM is not impressed by government’s continuous failure to provide to the needs of South Africans first.
Admin
10 Dec, 1998
Further deception regarding Lesotho uncovered
Statement by UDM President Attached herewith is an agreement between the Republic of South Africa and the Kingdom of Lesotho concerning the status of armed forces in the Kingdom of Lesotho. What is striking about the document is that the paragraph on Command and Control is completely silent on the military role of SADC. The ANC government lied to the public when they said that our troops (SANDF) in Lesotho were under the command of the SADC forces. Contrary to what the South African public was told by the ANC government no provision was made for any SADC forces involvement. The agreement states further that “members of the sending Party (RSA) shall have all the rights and powers bestowed, and the responsibilities charged upon them by South African law and that they shall exercise their rights, powers and responsibilities under the same conditions as required by South African law. With this information at hand can the ANC government still deny that they had invaded Lesotho or annexed Lesotho as their 10th Province?
Admin
27 Nov, 1998
Registration mess
Statement by Deputy-National Secretary Despite promises by the IEC and the government that everything is in place for registration in the five provinces, the situation on the ground is a disaster. Thousands of South Africans may very well ask themselves whether today is the first of April. Phones at the UDM National Office and in the five provincial offices have not stopped ringing as people are reporting complaints. At the National Office staff were redeployed to answer calls and take down complaints. Some of the more common complaints are: 1. Registration stations did not open because officials did not arrive. No explanation was provided and no provisions for alternatives were made. 2. In certain areas registration points that were advertised did not exist. An example of this is registration station no. 123 Cnr. Flufftail and Braam Pretorius streets, Flufftail Park, Montana in Pretoria. 3. Batteries of the scanners became flat and the IEC officials did not; have extra batteries or chargers available and as a result closed the registration stations. 4. In Mamelodi, Atteridgeville and Soshanguve registration stations did not have the voting district maps and as a result could not continue with the registration process. 5. In Cullinan the scanners did not work and voters were told they would be registered manually – How is this possible?; Why then the whole fuss about bar-coded ID? 6. In all Provinces reports were received of ANC officials wearing ANC T-shirts and handing out ANC pamphlets and material inside the registration station. A direct contravention of the Electoral Act.7. Inside registration stations there are no way to distinguish between IEC officials and ANC officials. The President and the Deputy President of the UDM experienced first hand the level of confusion and ANC biased in the registration process. When they wanted to complete the registration form, they were confronted with an ANC form and not a registration form. The UDM took these forms and other ANC documentation from the registration station to hand in as part of the complaint. The ANC official though confronted with this continued as if nothing happened and with us and the media present, took the form of an unexpected member of the public.8.Within the IEC confusion reigns. Three calls to the same number provided three completely different answers – and that on a basic question like what is the rule regarding where one should register: should it be where you stay, where you work, a choice of those or can you register at any point? Call 1: You can register where ever you want. Call 2: You must register in your voting district. Call 3: You can register where ever you want in Gauteng, but that address that you gave me where you stay does not exist. (Names of officials available) We can laugh about the situation, we can make jokes about the situation, and urban legends will develop as a result of the situation. The fact of the matter remains that the South African democracy is under threat. ;At the end of this weekend millions of South Africans would not have been able to take the first step in what is a fundamental right enshrined in our constitution. The IEC must take responsibility for the threat the South African democracy is under. South Africans are entitled to have answers to the following questions: 1. Why was proper planning not done and logistics not in place? 2. What will the IEC do to rectify the situation and to ensure that there will not be a repetition of the chaos next weekend and on subsequent registration dates? 3. What steps will the IEC take to ensure South Africans an acceptable level of organisation for the 1999 elections? 4. Will the IEC take steps against those IEC officials who are responsible for the chaos experienced today? Will they be removed and replaced by competent people?The IEC is serving the people of South Africa. They are accountable for all their actions and for the money that they spend to the South African tax payer and voter public – not to any political party and definitely not to the ANC government. There can be no talk of an African Renaissance, South Africa as the custodians of democracy or of South Africa playing a leading role in Africa if we do not get our own house in order. Countries with less infrastructure than South Africa run elections and the administration of elections far more efficiently and effectively. What South Africans experienced today is unjust and an insult to the years of struggle for a liberated and democratic South Africa.
Admin
24 Nov, 1998
Postponement of registration
Statement by Deputy-National Secretary The announcement today that the registration for the elections will be postponed in four provinces, emphasises the inability of government to deal with issues pro actively and in time. This announcement should have been made at least a month ago when it was clear to any one who cared, that the IEC will not be in a position to conduct proper registration in November. This is symptomatic of the crisis management style of the ANC government. Political parties who are represented in parliament are all jumping onto the bandwagon and screaming foul play – this should not fool the voters. Political parties, including all opposition parties, sat in parliament and did not use their positions to bring about any changes regarding the budget of the IEC or the election process. The use of ID books only became an issue to the National Party when research indicated that the Western Cape is effected greatly by the issuing of these documents. For the first time the DP is making a noise after Opinion 99 indicated that it is their voters who are most likely not to register. This opportunism from the political parties must end now. They have a responsibility equal to that of the ANC government and the IEC, to the voters to ensure that the elections are run smoothly. They were after all supporting the budget vote of Trevor Manuel. The IEC can also no longer wash its hands in innocence. The IEC must stop misleading the voter public. It is the voter public’s money that the IEC is using and their right to free and fair elections that the IEC is tampering with. The IEC must communicate honestly to the voters the problems and obstacles they are experiencing. It is our right to know the truth and the IEC’s responsibility to communicate it. In the eyes of the voters the IEC is responsible for the incompetence that we are experiencing. The IEC itself, in the way it acts, blemishes its independence and ability. ;Of great concern is the announcement by the government that they, the ANC government, will evaluate the registration process and then they will decide whether a further registration process is needed. This should be one of the primary functions of the IEC and most definitely not of the ANC government. The mere arrogance of the entitlement of government of this function and the silence with which the IEC received this announcement is a direct threat to the independence of the IEC and free and fair elections. The 1999 election never was and definitely is not a power game of a few individuals. As South Africans we should not be surprised that our economic figures decline if this is what we portray in terms of our ability to conduct democratic elections. The failure of the ANC government to empower the IEC to conduct the registration process properly makes one to wonder about the arrogance of the ANC government in their self appointed role as the defender of democracy in neighbouring states. It elevates South Africa’s role in the Lesotho debacle to the level of the absurd! As a political party who do not receive state funding we have spend a lot of money and time in informing our supporters that they should register in order to be able to vote. The postponement of the registration process in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu Natal, Western Cape and the Free State do not guarantee that the registration process in the other provinces will run smoothly. People still do not know where they should go and register. A special effort should now also be embarked on to communicate the changes in the four provinces affected. The UDM sincerely hopes that the marketing of this will not be as clandestine and secret as the current effort.
Admin
24 Nov, 1998
South Africa’s soaring trade balance deficit
Statement by Deputy-President South Africa’s worse than expected trade balance figures, which was announced yesterday, gives reason for grave concern. The cumulative deficit of R622,5 million for the first 10 months of 1998, compared to a cumulative; surplus of R3,8 million for the corresponding period; last year is frightening. There are furthermore indications that this condition will continue to worsen for the balance of the current fourth quarter, leaving a trade deficit for 1998 much larger than the market expected! These newly released trade balance figures will undoubtedly have a negative effect on the sentiments of investors in South Africa. While the world economy remains an important influencing factor on our economy, especially the position of our major export partners, South Africa’s soaring deficit on its trade balance, focuses afresh on the state of our economy. The important question is what does the ANC led government do to create a favourable climate for the South African economy to perform optimally? The United Democratic Movement believes that the ANC government should stop window dressing and should stop addressing only the symptoms of our economic problems and start to address the key problems in our economy. Under the ANC government, South Africa is experiencing a decline in incomes per capita (destroying wealth), stagnating exports, declines in factory production, surges in capital outflows, declines of fixed investments in new projects, plummeting car sales and job losses on a major scale. Under ANC rule, South Africa is getting poorer by the day, as fast as under apartheid. Facts on the table paints a picture of economic failure. It can be accepted that this situation will worsen if the ANC succeeds in obtaining a two-third majority in the 1999 election. The UDM believes that economic growth and job creation must be; boosted through an aggressive policy of enterprise development, giving entrepreneurs in underprivileged communities access to capital. SA’s economic fundamentals should now be addressed, given the latest worse than expected trade balance figures
Admin
23 Nov, 1998
Registration in shambles – elections under threat
Statement by Deputy-National Secretary With 72 hours left to put in place the organisational machinery for registration, the situation can only be described as chaotic. Not only are there serious questions about the impartiality of using state officials to run the registration, but it is also obvious that there are not enough officials willing to do the job. Training for these yet “non existing” officials must still take place. When will this happen and how does the IEC expect to fit it in the remaining timeframe? Free and fair elections are not determined on the day of elections only. The accessibility, level of understanding and the perception on the legitimacy of the process already determines whether the elections can be declared free and fair. Confusion reigns within the mind of the voter public. Voters have no idea where they should go and register. Giving publicity to the 14 000 plus registration points to such an extend that it is general public knowledge takes more than a mere day or two. Voter despondency with the upcoming elections becomes understandable in this atmosphere of uncertainty and ill organisation. We can not expect the voter to have trust in the democratic process if the basics are not right or put in place. This, are not the responsibility of political parties, but ultimately the responsibility of the IEC and government in providing the necessary funding for this exercise. Political parties must and should do everything in their power to ensure that its supporters register. This is true, but it becomes an exercise in futility if the infrastructure and logistics are not in place. The IEC’s handling of the registration process gives new meaning to the saying “hurry up and wait” and “all dressed up but nowhere to go!”.
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