UDM Eastern Cape calls for accountability, equity, and safety in response to Eastern Cape developments
Statement by Bulelani Bobotyane, Provincial Secretary of the UDM in the Eastern Cape
The United Democratic Movement (UDM) in the Eastern Cape is deeply concerned by recent developments across the province, particularly in the education, economic, and energy sectors.
While we welcome progressive initiatives that promise growth and transformation, we will not be silent when the vulnerable are forgotten or exploited.
1. The #JusticeForCwecwe campaign has laid bare the failure of our education system to protect our children. The UDM in the Eastern Cape demands that the provincial government not only close non-compliant schools but urgently implement structural safeguards, including a Provincial School Safety Oversight Task Team and school-based trauma units. Child safety is not negotiable.
2. We note the Premier Oscar Mabuyane’s international investment drive to boost the oceans economy. Mabuyane announced that the province would soon visit countries such as Italy and Greece, with the intention to attract investors who could partner with the province “to unlock jobs in our oceans economy”.
Mabuyane stated that the oceans economy represents a new growth frontier that, when combined with meaningful transformation, can unlock new economic value chains and opportunities for the people of the Eastern Cape.
He also announced that the national government has started the process of officially gazetting small harbours in Hamburg, within the Ngqushwa Municipality, and in Mbizana.
While the potential is undeniable, the UDM insists on transparency in all agreements, enforceable 30% local ownership, and the publication of all memoranda of understanding (MOUs). Our coastal communities must not be spectators in an economy built on their heritage.
3. Regarding the R105 billion Hive Green Ammonia Project at Coega (the project by Hive Energy UK at the Coega Special Economic Zone (SEZ) outside Gqeberha is the biggest investment of its kind in the world), the UDM in the Eastern Cape welcomes the shift toward sustainable energy.
However, we demand full disclosure of the project’s local employment commitments, environmental compliance, and community development plans. The green economy must not become another exclusionary space.
As the voice of reason and accountability, the UDM in the Eastern Cape will continue to fight for an inclusive Eastern Cape - one that places people before profits, safety before slogans, and transparency above all.
