Admin
04 Nov, 2018
Bobani’s bank account inspected, says attorney
The United Democratic Movement (UDM) has noted that Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) Executive Mayor Mongameli Bobani’s attorneys, Danie Gouws Attorneys, have, after inspecting his bank accounts, found that there is nothing untoward in his personal bank account or that he received any kind of irregular payment/s from Heerkos Projects. The allegations made in the media, in particular The Herald, pertain to the NMB Integrated Public Transport System (IPTS) and alleged payments to Bobani by one Fareed Fakir’s company, Heerkos Projects. The Party shall henceforth be guided by the outcome of the Hawks’ investigation into the IPTS. The UDM will only act if the National Prosecuting Authority finds prima facie evidence of corruption involving Mr Bobani. Issued by: Mr Bantu Holomisa, MP
Admin
30 Oct, 2018
Increased fatalities on SA roads not acceptable
The high number of fatalities on our roads over the past few weeks is disturbing. What is of greater concern is that these accidents happened during Transport Month, which amongst others, was looking at curbing road fatalities. Year on year far too many travellers do not reach their destinations and as people gear up for the festive season we hope that this year’s statistics will show a decline in accidents and fatalities. The United Democratic Movement (UDM) calls on all road users to take greater care and responsibility whilst using our highways and byways. Also, it is high time that taxi drivers take responsibility for the lives they carry. Drunk driving and jaywalking must stop. All vehicles must be roadworthy especially those that carry passengers; not only are passengers at risk but also those who are driving around one. The UDM calls on traffic departments to be more visible as we get closer to the period where road usage peaks. All stakeholders, drivers included, must do more to ensure that this year we reach a zero-rate for road accidents. Issued by: Bongani Msomi UDM Secretary General
Admin
25 Oct, 2018
UDM KwaZulu-Natal calls for Endumeni municipal manager to resign or to be suspended with immediate effect
UDM KwaZulu-Natal calls for Endumeni municipal manager to resign or to be suspended with immediate effect After our media statement of 23 October 2018 regarding deeply concerning issues in the Endumeni Municipality in the uMzinyathi District, the United Democratic Movement in KwaZulu Natal were given explosive documents that should make the Endumeni municipal manager’s life very uncomfortable. The documents contain damning proof of the municipal manager ‘s gross negligence and/or corruption by improperly and irregularly signing a contract worth R 969 000, which he has since tried to nullify by withdrawing an appointment letter. Such action has been challenged in court by the concerned service provider and is due to be heard on 6 December 2018 in the Pietermaritzburg High Court. 1. The appointment letter was signed by the municipal manager on 8 June 2018. 2. The contract which states that 50% of the contractual value (R484 500) is payable within thirty days of signing the contract, was signed by the municipal manager on 26 June 2018. 3. On 30 August 2018, the municipal manager wrote to the service provider to withdraw the letter of appointment, citing among other reasons that “Your document was incomplete as you had not filed MBD 1 nor MBD 3.1 which are compulsory to Special Conditions of Bid, point no. 10”. 4. On 15 October 2018 the concerned service provider filed a court application to enforce the contract. The sequence of events clearly proves either gross negligence and/or corruption on the part of the municipal manager. It is very disturbing that the Inkatha Freedom Party-led coalition with the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), is keeping mum on this and by implication intend to cause further financial losses at the expense of the Endumeni residents. The UDM KZN, urges both the DA and the EFF particularly, to put Endumeni residents first by personally pushing for the removal of the municipal manager and holding him accountable for the already lost municipal funds. Issued by Mr Boysey Gumede Interim Provincial Secretary UDM in KwaZulu-Natal
Admin
25 Oct, 2018
Request for investigation in navy contracts
Honourable Ms Nosiviwe N Mapisa-Nqakula Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Room 1418, Floor 14 120 Plein Street CAPE TOWN 8000 Dear Honourable Mapisa-Nqakula REQUEST FOR AN URGENT INVESTIGATION: APPOINTMENT OF PRIVATE CONTRACT FOR THE RENDERING OF A MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OF OPERATIONAL MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN NAVY WESTERN CAPE REGION FOR A THREE YEARS PERIOD The above has reference. The awarding of the bid for the maintenance and repair of operational mechanical equipment for the SA navy in the Western Cape region, to RA Govender CC, appears to be irregular and corrupt. This claim is based on the documents in my possession which I am sharing with you. Amongst the disturbing revelations, are the following: • The compliance history report from the Central Supplier Database for government (CSD), shows that RA Govender CC was Non-Tax Compliant at the time of awarding the bid. • RA Govender CC has claimed to have the necessary and requisite capacity to deliver on the terms of the reference, yet has subcontracted his service resulting to the cost of the contract ballooning to more than R52 million. • The sub-contractors are not registered with Workmen’s compensation, non-BBBEE compliant and were not vetted for operating in a National Key Point. Furthermore I drawn your attention to the following files, that were fiddled with in order to fraudulently influence the bidding, and in particular, the pricing process. • SPSC Bid 012 / 2015 • SPSC Bid 050 / 2015 • SPSC Bid 1051 / 2015 • SPSC Bid 1652 / 2015 On 16 November 2016, REAR ADMIRAL (JG) Mkhonto, a Director of Fleet Logistics, did not support the recommendation to award the bid to RA Govender CC. A signed document by someone going by the name of “Lamola” suggest that Mkhonto had directed this person to act on behalf of his support. Therefore this is contradictory to the one singed by Mkhonto and dated 16 November 2016. Accordingly, I request that your department appoint credible and independent bodies to conduct a detailed investigation of these allegations. I will be pleased to be advised on the steps taken by your office. Sincerely yours, Mr. Bantu Holomisa, MP President of the United Democratic Movement
Admin
25 Oct, 2018
UDEMWO welcomes the decision of zero-rated sanitary pads
The United Democratic Movement Women’s Organisation (UDEMWO) welcomes the announcement by the Finance Minister Tito Mboweni for sanitary pads to be zero-rated. This step in the right direction is long overdue however; to say it will only kick off next year is too far. It should be with immediate effect. The struggle of young girls being unable to access pads has been an on-going tussle for a very long time. If the government is able to provide condoms for free for all men while women are paying for the pads, the decision is the least the government can do. We are calling upon government to expedite the rolling out of pads. Many girls are still forced to skip school due to the lack of this primary need. We are however glad that there is someone who sees a need of the very poor in a government which otherwise seems to care only for itself. Issued by: Thandi Nontenja UDEMWO Secretary General
Admin
23 Oct, 2018
UDM KwaZulu-Natal on deeply concerning issues in the uMzinyathi District
UDM KwaZulu-Natal on deeply concerning issues in the uMzinyathi District 1. Endumeni Municipality The United Democratic Movement (UDM) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), has noted the worrisome news that was published by the Independent Newspaper’s Daily News on 16 October 2018 re: “Forensic report uncovers rampant corruption at Endumeni Municipality”. After this, it was reported on 22 October 2018 by the Northern Natal Courier that the Endumeni mayor had resigned, with a further report on Tuesday 23 October 2018 by the same newspaper that the “Hawks swoop[ed] on Endumeni Municipality”. We applaud the KZN MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nomusa Dube-Ncube and the Hawks for their swift action. However, the MEC is cautioned to always be impartial and to, accordingly investigate all issues reported to her. The UDM KZN encourages both the DA and the EFF to put the Endumeni community first as the new mayor is bound to be elected. The MEC’s stated fraud, corruption and maladministration as well as the irregular, unauthorised and fruitless expenditure in Endumeni happened under their watch as they had a hand in the election of both the mayor and the speaker of this council. These two parties must clearly display their stance on thievery, corruption and maladministration by abstaining when the new mayor is elected. 2. Msinga municipality – Pomeroy Pomeroy is the only proclaimed town under the Msinga local municipality, but it remains the least developed town. The UDM-KZN encourages all three levels of government to be sensitive in terms of the development of Pomeroy to unlock its potential as the economic hub of this municipality. The required infrastructure are things like water, sewerage systems and electricity lines suitable for a town. In that process, many jobs will be created, and it will contribute positively in reducing the 98% unemployment level in the area. The municipality is encouraged to locate some of its offices/departments in Pomeroy, such as a library, traffic and licencing departments, as well as a town-planning department. Provincial government should build schools, colleges and establish social development offices in town and national government is encouraged to open a home affairs office. Upon these levels of government spearheading such moves, the rest will follow. Mr Boysey Gumede Interim Provincial Secretary
Admin
22 Oct, 2018
Government must find permanent solutions to shack fires
The United Democratic Movement (UDM) is disturbed by the horrific Khayelitsha fires that claimed a life and left hundreds of people without a place of safety. We are in particular worried about matric pupils busy preparing for final exams. There can never be anything more stressful than the situation they find themselves in while they still need to study. The UDM calls on all stakeholders to pay attention and to support the affected communities. Minister of human settlement, Zoliswa Kota-Fredericks, must intervene. Shacks are the main challenge that leads to these fires and government must step up to the plate when it comes to housing. The fact that taps are not available and/or are far from communities is another problem when fires strike as there is no hope to douse fires and to prevent them from spreading. Most people who are affected by such fires, also fall victim to floods because informal settlements are built below the flood line. Our people do not have proper infrastructure while millions of rands that are meant for service delivery, continue to disappear and no one is held accountable. How many lives must be lost before something is done to prevent accidents like these? Week after week service delivery protests rock communities and nothing is done. Now that voting time is around, places that are affected by such disasters will not be far for government officials to visit. The reality is that officials do not care about people they only want their votes. Government is the reason for unrest in the country and people are tired of unfulfilled promises. Government must come up with permanent solution to stop these shack fires that continue to steal lives of the innocent and destroy communities. Issued by: Bongani Msomi UDM Secretary General
Admin
19 Oct, 2018
Speech by Mr BH Holomisa, MP and UDM President on the current political landscape, PIC corruption and post-2019 coalitions as a guest of the Current Media Forum
• Members of the Current Media Forum • Our host, Mr Peter Ford • Ladies and gentlemen 1. Thanks Before we go into the nitty gritty of our conversation, I want to thank the Current Media Forum and Peter Ford for inviting me to have this chat. 2. Introduction We certainly live in interesting times, even though much of the news we consume these days is nauseating. Waves of news about corruption and wrongdoing, both in the private and public sectors, break over our heads. However, if one takes a step backward for a moment, I think it is a good thing from the perspective that lancing a boil is better than letting it grow and fester until it explodes. Also, we must acknowledge the active role that the media, civil society and opposition parties play in exposing corruption. This is a sign that our constitutional democracy is functioning well, which is another bit of good news. 3. The waves of corruption: the PIC example At the risk of sounding like a pessimist, I want to paint a gloomy picture of the allegations of corruption at the Public Investment Corporation (PIC). Not only have the media done its work here, but the United Democratic Movement (UDM) played a role in exposing some of the alleged corruption. From our view point, the situation at the PIC makes the dishonesty and exploitation with Guptagate look like, if I can coin my own term, “Mickey Mouse Corruption”. Not only because billions of rands are involved, but also in terms of the wide web of “connected” people and entities implicated. At face value the “connected people” received preferential treatment in accessing vast amounts of money at the PIC. The practice of “facilitation fees” also seems to be one of the big bleeders. One of the others, for example, is the madness of investing in a dilapidated Mozambican oil refinery plant that is not operational, years after a massive cash injection from the PIC. Just as with the corrupt mess at the VBS Mutual Bank, there are hundreds of thousands of ordinary South Africans being ripped off and their financial futures are compromised. 3.1. Mpati Commission of Inquiry The UDM has welcomed the appointment of Justice Lex Mpati as the head of the commission of inquiry into the allegations of corruption at the PIC. We are of the view that the commission’s terms of reference are wide enough to give Justice Mpati and his two colleagues a lot to chew on. We do however hope that this commission is different to those we have had in the past where they take longer than expected to conclude their business. The deadline President Ramaphosa has given them must be stuck to; come hell or highwater. 4. State of politics in South Africa The good old days of the “new” South Africa has rapidly faded away during the past few years. At least the light at the end of a very long tunnel started showing with the election of President Ramaphosa, a leader who appears to be palatable to most South Africans. Although we have seen some of the positive actions from his office we must be realistic. Two decades of damage done by his ruling party, cannot be reversed in a few months, no matter who is at the helm. Also, given the infighting in the ruling party and that it will possibly not win an outright majority in 2019, there is absolutely no guarantee that Mr Ramaphosa, or any of the key cabinet ministers, will return to office. In fact, we might even have a mixed cabinet, should a coalition government be formed. Time will tell what President Ramaphosa’s legacy will be, but we can safely say that, at the heart of it all, there has been a leadership crisis. We do not have sound leadership in government to articulate the interests of South Africans as a Nation. Officially, we have thirteen political players in the field, based on the dictates of the electorate in 2014. We however have what one might call “majoritarianism” – that a Society is made to believe that there are only three players in the field. I am yet to read a newspaper covering the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality that refers to it as a “UDM-led municipality”. I even forget that Ekurhuleni has a coalition government, because it is always referred to as an African National Congress (ANC) municipality. All the other metros where the Democratic Alliance (DA) governs, through coalition, are referred to as “DA municipalities”. Frankly put they don’t even attempt to say “DA-led municipalities”. In our view, quality has been replaced by numeric definition. In essence, we wish that media would spend more appreciation to other parties in the effort to promote a multi-party democracy. It is notable, that at face value, the only parties which seem to be stable or more free of scandals are the so-called small parties. Looking deeper into the public discourse, these so-called large/big parties are consumed by internal and external conflicts. 5. Possible coalitions come 2019 Like all other “interesting times” there are so many variables which makes it rather difficult to read the political landscape of South Africa to make any predictions. However, there seems to be emerging consensus that there will be no outright winner of the 2019 national and provincial elections. This must not be read as a negative but rather as a positive outcome of a flourishing democracy. This outcome would promote checks and balances that are needed in South Africa, given the current corruption that we are experiencing due to the current one party dominance in both national, provincial and local governments spheres. Of course, the phenomenon of coalition governments in South Africa is not new. The first democratic government post-1994 was indeed an example of coalition government i.e. the Government of National Unity (GNU). The difference between the GNU and all coalitions thereafter is that it had been regulated, whilst all others had no regulatory mechanism and were therefore managed “loosely”. Therefore, using the GNU example, future coalition governments must be regulated along the lines of the 1993 Constitution. Given the experience gained, as well as learning from other countries where coalition governments flourish, we can agree on a practical, and regulated system of governance. The UDM will not tolerate any coalitions that will allow it to be bullied or swallowed up by larger parties, who think they have the outright governing rights. A party who attempts to bully and swallow, the parties they are in coalition with, clearly shows their unwillingness to respect basic principles of democracy. 6. Closure As people interested in the future of South Africa, the matters that I have mentioned, amongst many others, occupy our minds. We try to predict what the political dispensation will be post-2019 and onwards and, as I have said, the factors that impact on our future change daily and we must realise that this is an open game. We will all anxiously watch the scoreboard to see what happens in the next six or seven months.
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