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13 Apr, 2017
UDM’s well wishes for Easter Holiday
Statement by Bongani Msomi – UDM Secretary General As we approach the holiday season, the United Democratic Movement (UDM) calls on drivers to be more vigilant and ensure that travellers reach their destination safe. We must curb the incidents of road rage; drivers and passengers must not be impatient. Pedestrians also must abide by the law and rather use bridges to cross highways. They must also not jay-walk while intoxicated. Let there be no injuries and fatalities as we usually witnessed, we can achieve this by making sure that drivers obey the rules of the road and rest if tired. The UDM also calls for visibility of law enforcement officials – it is their job to keep roads and people safe. Owners must ensure that their vehicles are road worthy. Please accept our well-wishes for those who observe Easter and those who are due for a period of respite, should come back rested. End
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12 Apr, 2017
#ZumaMustFall: National Day of Action, UDM President Mr BH Holomisa, MP addresses the masses
• My colleagues in other political parties, • Leaders of civil society organisations, • Fellow South Africans from all walks of life! 1. Welcome: • On behalf of the organisers, I welcome each one of you who have made the effort to be here today. • Your presence, as well the wishes of many other freedom-loving South Africans who could not be present, is a testimony that this cause is just. • We should be proud of this display of patriotism. 2. The National Day of Action: our purpose • We are gathered here to send a signal to the ruling party that, although we respect that the electorate gave it a mandate to rule, South Africans are concerned that it is allowing this land of ours to decline under its watch. • Amongst other burning issues, our people are most concerned about corruption, poverty, unemployment and lawlessness. But chief amongst these issues is our waning economy. • Recent events resulted in a plummeting rand, ratings agencies have downgraded South Africa and this will inevitably lead to a depression of our economy. • The knock-on effect of our Country’s economic ‘junk status’ will negatively impact our people. • Banks won’t lend us money and Government will struggle to service our debts. • Levels of poverty will rise, employment will decrease and no new job opportunities will be created. • Everyone will suffer. The rich will become poorer, but worse, the poor will become destitute. • When some of the top leaders of the ruling party apologised to President Zuma for publicly criticising his actions, one disappointed South African said this: “Deputy President is wrong. Secretary General is wrong. Treasurer General is wrong. Integrity Commission is wrong SACP is wrong. COSATU is wrong. Rating Agency S&P (Standard and Poor) is wrong. Concourt was wrong. Public Protector was wrong. SO, only Zuma is right?” I want to add: “the opposition is wrong”. We, the people who are here today, are wrong! • The powers-that-be remain unmoved, and become defensive, when loyal South African citizens raise such points. • We can’t continue marching forever. We MUST find a way to converge in under one roof to discuss South Africa’s future. • We must find a vehicle that will provide a safe space for us, irrespective of political affiliation, to hammer out a common vision, binding to all, of how we should address our Country’s problems. • We may soon need to have a summit of political, and leaders of civil society to exchange ideas on how to take South Africa forward. • Not only should we find solutions to our current set of challenges, but most importantly, we must leave behind a prosperous country for future generations. Thank you #ZumaMustFall: National Day of Action, UDM President Mr BH Holomisa, MP addressed the masses at the Union Buildings, Pretoria
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10 Apr, 2017
UDM condemns ANC Youth League political intolerance
Statement issued by Bongani Mosmi – UDM Secretary General The United Democratic Movement (UDM) is stunned and disappointed by the violent behaviour displayed by the ruling party’s youth league, African National Congress Youth League towards anti-Zuma protesters. ANC is supposed to be the custodian of our constitution which guarantees the freedom of association. The attacks and threats are totally unacceptable. We are observing the similar behaviour even to the officials who are ANC members in the Tshwane Metro and other areas who refused the permission to the organisers of the protest march. South Africa is a free country and this must stop. End
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10 Apr, 2017
#ZumaMustFall: The Opposition is united in Putting South Africa, and Its Citizens, First
Joint media statement As leaders, we shall never abandon our responsibility to put South Africa first. Accordingly, the leadership of the African Christian Democratic Party, African Independent Congress, African People’s Convention, Congress of the People, Agang SA, Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters, Inkatha Freedom Party and the United Democratic Movement have agreed to give expression to this commitment. We want to make every effort to rescue South Africa from this one-man-made quagmire. President Jacob Zuma, with the blessing and help of his sycophants, is actively undermining the work of our Chapter Nine institutions. The Constitutional Court found that he acted illegally; failed to uphold; defend and respect the Constitution with his disregard of the Public Protector’s remedial action on the Nkandla corruption. He is in violation of the Constitution and his oath of office, which makes Mr Zuma ineligible to be President of the Republic. President Zuma’s midnight cabinet reshuffle started a domino effect, with the rand tanking, South Africa’s downgrading by two ratings agencies, as well as the downgrading of some banks and Eskom. “Junk status” makes South Africa an unsafe investment destination and international banks will think twice before lending money to us. Our credibility is shot and the knock-on effects in terms of the cost of living is going to hit our poor people the hardest. The influence of the Gupta family on our President, including several ministers, means President Zuma has been bought by the highest bidder and that South Africa is being run from Saxonwold. From Wednesday, 12 April 2017, onward, the aforementioned political parties shall embark on a programme of periodic mass action to ensure that South Africans, and their country, are protected from the brutal hand of Mr Jacob Zuma. We now announce – to all South Africans, Africa and the world – that we have declared 12 April a “National Day of Action”. We are happy to report that there already are many civil society organisations on board, like SaveSA, as well as South Africans (from all walks of life) who have indicated that they identify with this cause. They have expressed their willingness to do everything within their power to make the “National Day of Action” a success. As part of our programme, political parties across the Country will mobilise their members and structures to engage in activities geared towards forcing the ruling party to recall their deployee. Or, to exert enough pressure that President Zuma will do the honourable thing and resign. We will have, and plan to, engage civil society formations, as well as our colleagues in other political parties to mobilise support for the people’s “National Day of Action” at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. We plan to engage in various activities – such as the “National Day of Action – over the coming days, weeks and months to show common cause i.e. to rescue South Africa from a slippery-slope. We extend an invitation to all South African citizens, other political parties, labour organisations, traditional and religious institutions and any other interested parties to participate in all the other protest activities in the pipeline. We also, and very specifically, extend an invitation to the ruling party, that claims to be the leader of society, to occasionally act with the people, and for the people. If they fail (as is their standard operating procedure) to hear the loud cries of South Africans to remove their “junk status” President, the people must unite in dictating their own destiny and punish the African National Congress in the 2019 National and Provincial Elections. END
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06 Apr, 2017
UDM calls for investigation into death of poisoned minors
Statement issued by Bongani Msomi – UDM Secretary General The United Democratic Movement (UDM) would like to convey a message of condolence to the families of two minors that were killed after an alleged consumption of food poison in the Western Cape meanwhile others are still in a critical condition in hospital. This is tragic and we are calling for a speedy investigation into finding the origins of the food they had ingested and someone must be brought to book for this tragedy that led to people losing lives while others are in a bad state. UDM also wishes a speedy recovery to those who still fighting for their lives in hospital and we hope they will be discharged soon. End
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06 Apr, 2017
Understanding the UDM, Bantu Holomisa’s contribution at ASRI Future Leaders Fellowship Program
• Programme Director, • Future Leaders, • Ladies and Gentlemen. 1. Introduction Before I launch into the United Democratic Movement’s (UDM) vision and policy on certain issues, I want to sketch a bit of background of how we started, since that informs much of our policy and work. Almost twenty years ago, after I was unceremoniously expelled from the African National Congress (ANC), I started a consultation process with South Africans on the need for a new political movement or not. With those that followed me, we started the National Consultative Forum. As it happened, Roelf Meyer left the National Party around the same time and formed the New Movement Process. We were on the same page and established the UDM in 1997. It was clear to many of us, already at that point in time, that South Africa’s political landscape needed to change. And, as recent events have shown, that need still exists. But we can talk about that a little later. The UDM has had to box in the heavy-weight class since its inception and we acknowledge that our support has waxed and waned since 1999. In 2003 and 2005, chequebook politics robbed the UDM of talent, resources and influence when the so-called ‘floor-crossing legislation’ was still in action. The UDM fought that law, tooth and nail, because it allowed public representatives to leave one party for another, whilst those individuals did not have votes confer upon themselves. No! Voters made their mark behind the name of the UDM. We were happy that our efforts paid off when the legislation was abolished in 2009. This leads me to an argument that the UDM has made for some time i.e. that we need a mixed electoral system which draws from the strengths of both constituency-based representation (to ensure that an individual public representative is held accountable) and proportional representation. The UDM also advocates that South Africans should directly elect their President instead of having a person foisted on them by a ruling party. If we had used this system, we might have avoided the tears and embarrassment we have suffered at the hand of our current President. Directly electing their President allows the people to ‘hire and fire’ that person if they are dissatisfied with his/her performance. The UDM also strongly believes that candidates for Cabinet must be vetted at public hearings to ascertain whether they are fit for office. Once again, we might have averted the current leadership crisis, because in such a scenario we could ensure that our leaders in government are qualified and capable. Using such a system might be a bit cumbersome, but we can at least force some measure of stability and accountability. 2. The challenge of competing as a political party in South Africa There are inherent weaknesses in the funding model for political parties in South Africa. What that means for the UDM, and other smaller parties, is that we are hamstrung in performing our duties. Advertising costs money; public relations (PR) cost money and things like the core task of electioneering is particularly draining as most of our activists come from disadvantaged communities and we need to support them in their work. It’s literally a question of buying food to keep them sustained and keeping petrol tanks filled. Any party may have the most brilliant and creative solutions to our problems, but if you can’t effectively get your message out in public, it neutralises your hard work. We cannot get away from the fact that the current funding model for political parties is not conducive to multi-party democracy. The funds parties receive from the Independent Electoral Commission, as well as those that Parliamentarians receive to do their work (called the Constituent’s Allowance Fund), are divvied up proportionally based on the percentage of support a party gets at an election. In addition, the big companies that earmark money for democracy development (in their social responsibility kitty) also spend that money proportionally. What this means is that, the parties with a good election performance gets the lion’s share of the money. The result is that the strong become stronger, irrespective of their performance and policies, and the less-strong are weakened further. It is a vicious cycle. In addition, when we approach companies with sound reasoning as to why they should support the UDM, and therefore democracy in South Africa, we are told that they do not wish to sponsor the UDM, because it will lead to loss of business with government. The ANC, and even the Democratic Alliance, have millions-and-millions of Rands to spend on party and electioneering activities. In addition, there is some element of abuse of state resources to bolster party propaganda, especially at election-times. For your information, the UDM does not have, and never had, a PR company to develop sexy advertising campaigns and programmes. We have sustained ourselves through mere word of mouth. 3. Unpacking political realignment Our version of political realignment does not refer to a ganging up of opposition parties against the ruling alliance, but rather a regrouping of people around new concepts that were brought up in the wash of momentous political change over the years. The results of the last two National and Provincial Elections 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 UDM is of the view, that a healthy realignment of our political landscape will culminate in the emergence of two major political parties, with some smaller cause-based parties – as is the case in established democracies such as in the United Kingdom, France and the United States of America. 4. The emergence of coalition governance after the 2016 Municipal Elections Considering that we have different ideologies and philosophies, the so-called “smaller parties” have the challenge of finding each other. The advantage is that the precedent has been created in different places in the world where, political parties with different interests, work together without losing their identities. That said, the results of the 2016 Municipal Elections are a clarion call to all political parties to join hands with communities and civil society to provide visionary leadership to the Country. The UDM has always understood coalition government as a form of cooperation between political parties who agree on specific principles and programmes to address the challenges of service delivery. Central to these is the immediate need to create jobs, eradicate poverty, fight and uproot corruption and promote good governance. I must however admit that being a coalition partner in two municipalities, in the Johannesburg and the Nelson Mandela Bay metros is challenging. The wide spectrum of political philosophies of the various parties has inherent challenges. We don’t always agree, but we keep our minds open and work hard at finding each other. 5. A little bit more on our founding tenants The UDM’s vision reads as follows: “We are the political home of all South Africans, united in the spirit of South Africanism by our common passion for our Country, mobilising the creative power inherent in our rich diversity, towards our transformation into a Winning Nation.” The core values which the UDM upholds and promotes and upon which it fundamental policy positions are based are: • respect for life, dignity and human worth of every individual; • integrity in public- and private life; • the individual rights and freedoms enshrined in our Country’s Constitution; • tolerance and respect for the rights and freedoms of others; • solidarity in the common spiritual ownership of all that is good in our Country; • national self-discipline based on an acceptance that each right and freedom carries with it a corresponding and equal obligation and responsibility; • national moral regeneration towards a clear distinction between right and wrong, between what is acceptable conduct and what not, between good and evil; • economic policies based on moral values and; • freedom of religion and worship. Those are lofty, but achievable, ideals. For the purpose of today’s discussion, and to remain topical, I wish to focus on “integrity in public- and private life”. The reason why I want to do this, is to highlight the conundrum facing South Africa today. After the ANC Working Committee’s pronouncements yesterday, one South African summarised the situation as follows: “Deputy President is wrong. Secretary General is wrong. Treasurer General is wrong. Integrity Commission is wrong SACP is wrong. COSATU is wrong. Rating Agency S&P (Standard and Poor) is wrong. Concourt was wrong. Public Protector was wrong. SO, only Zuma is right?” I want to add: “the opposition is wrong”. We are in this mess, precisely because our Country’s President does not, judging by is actions, epitomise integrity in public- and private life. I am not going to unpack this further, because I am sure that you keep abreast of the news as it breaks, but feel free to ask tough questions in the Q and A session just now. 6. Some key UDM policies in a nutshell The UDM has batted on anti-corruption wicket since its inception and we never wavered. It is precisely because corruption bleeds the Nation dry that we keep our focus on this issue. Another of our points of departure is: “Government must do more”. Meaningful government intervention is needed to ensure economic growth and the UDM therefore advocates, what could be called, “conscious capitalism”. While the UDM recognises the valuable role that markets should play, it is of the firm belief that Government must play a key role in creating a stable policy environment and developing the economy for the benefit of our people. Government must have an awareness of purpose. It must be sensitive to our people’s needs, especially the most vulnerable of our society and, most importantly, it must be responsive in a constructive manner. One-in-three South Africans survive on grants. That is the harsh reality. And, although “Government must do more” can be interpreted as a mandate to make more money available for grants, that is not the best it can do. Government must in fact do more… to help people, to help themselves. Another issue, which I am sure is close to your hearts, is education. We have one of the most unequal societies in the world and our economy is not growing. An educated and healthy citizenry is needed to grow and develop our economy so that we are capacitated to eradicate poverty and inequality, and to generate employment. The UDM is of the view that South Africa must develop and maintain an education system that produces school-leavers and graduates that are equipped with balanced job-related and life skills to enter the job market, economy and greater society and be productive and responsible citizens. The genuine demand for free, and quality, higher education has unfortunately been turned into a political matter, which is effectively being abused by the contending factions of the ruling alliance. South Africa cannot afford a situation where education is used to settle political scores. We desperately need strong higher education institutions that produce students with the relevant skills for our socio-economic development. The UDM believes that special attention should be paid to poor students who are unable, or is struggling, to pay their tuition fees. We agree that subsidies for the children of domestic workers, or worse, unemployed persons, cannot be the same as those for the children of advocates, doctors and investment bankers. The reality is that there are those deserving students who need to be totally subsidised by government. But where will we get the money? Well, let’s start with a Government, which must stop splashing public money on wasteful and unproductive expenses. It is with a sense of loss that I mention that former Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, last year, called on departments to save money and cut costs. It was reported, at the time, that R35,2 billion was spent on consultants, travel, catering and entertainment. The UDM has long held the view that the continuous outsourcing of government work, which ought to be done by civil servants, is expensive and perpetuates poor service delivery. 7. Conclusion On 27 September 2017, the UDM shall mark the 20th anniversary of its existence. We will celebrate this achievement by reviewing our policies and repositioning the UDM at centre stage of the South African political landscape and discourse. The UDM prides itself on being a ‘listening party’ rather than a ‘dictating party’. I therefore invite you to participate in this policy review process as this is a platform for young South Africans to share their concerns, express their hopes and participate in finding creative solutions to our problems. Make yourselves part of the UDM’s vision to make South Africa a ‘Winning Nation! Thank you Understanding the United Democratic Movement – Address delivered by Mr B Holomisa, MP (UDM President) at the ‘Understanding government’ week, 2017 ASRI Future Leaders Fellowship Program in Auckland Park, Johannesburg on 6 April 2017
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05 Apr, 2017
UDEMWO condemns attacks on young Cape Town girls
Statement issued by Thandi Nontenja – UDEMWO Secretary General The United Democratic Movement Women’s Organisation (UDEMWO) is shocked and disturbed by the recent brutal rape and murder of 11-year-old Stacha Arendse whose body was found dumped in an open field not far from her home in Tafelsig. This atrocity happened within just a few days after the body of murdered Rene Tracy Roman (13), was discovered in a house on the same street where she lived. These horrific attacks against women and girl-children are adding up and has become endemic to the Western Cape. But, we see far too many such incidents right throughout the country. UDEMWO condemns these criminal acts and we call upon the members of the community to work together with the police to ensure that such cruel crimes are not committed. It cannot be that everyday someone dies at the hands of those whom they know and trust. We are thankful that the alleged evil doers are behind bars, but we find it worrying that the man arrested for the attack on Stacha is a convicted rapist who was out on six months’ parole. We therefore hope that justice be swift and that harsh measures will be taken against those found guilty – they must never be unleashed on society again. We urge the MEC of Community Safety in the Western Cape, Mr Dan Plato, together with all the relevant stakeholders to urgently intervene in curbing this growing trend of attacks on women and children in the Province. One soul is one too many.
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04 Apr, 2014
UDM writes to Chairperson of the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence to request urgent meeting to quiz origins of the so-called Intelligence Report
Dear Mr Nqakula REQUEST FOR URGENT MEETING: JOINT STANDING COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE The above matter refers. In my capacity as a member of the Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence, I request that you convene an urgent meeting of the Committee to consider the widely reported and circulated ‘Intelligence Report’ [the Report] that purportedly has been the central reason for the change of leadership in the National Treasury. In order for the Committee to be able to consider this matter and deliberate, I further request that you direct the Minister of State Security, Mr David Mahlobo, and his Director General, to attend the meeting and brief us on the following, amongst others: 1. Whether the Report is a product of our local intelligence agencies? 2. Whether the Report is a product of foreign intelligence agencies? 3. Whether the Minister is satisfied with the origin and substance of the Report and, if so, to give the Committee further details? You will certainly appreciate the negative impact the Report has had on our economy and the Country’s subsequent downgrading to junk status. I hope you find this request in order and urgent. Yours sincerely Mr Bantu Holomisa, MP President of the United Democratic Movement
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