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16 Aug, 2018
Message by Mr BH Holomisa, MP and UDM President on the 16th of August 2018 at the Commemoration of the Marikana Massacre
• Programme Director • The families of the victims of the Marikana Massacre • Ladies and Gentlemen 1. Opening Thank you for allowing me to share in this occasion, the commemoration of the Marikana Massacre. We must always remember what happened on this awful day six years ago, so that it may never be repeated. 2. No consequences for criminals We live in a country where there are no consequences for breaking the law. Worst still when it is our very own government that is doing so. It is frustrating that there are no consequences for those who steal; there are no consequences for those who engage in corruption and there are no consequences for those guilty of murder. This must stop. 3. The UDM’s message to mineworkers It is the mineworkers of this country that must bring about change in how government manages the mineworking industry. Each time there is a cabinet reshuffle the policies change as a new personality takes over the reins. The mining experts are frustrated, because they are being tossed around by politicians. This too must stop. It is time for the owners and the mineworkers to get their acts together and speak the same language on this score. 4. Land and the purpose of the parliamentary committee’s hearings Whilst I have the opportunity, I want to remind you that the parliamentary hearings that took place all over the country, were to determine whether the constitution should in fact be amended or not. This is phase one. The second phase is where the “how” part should be discussed, whether the parliamentary committee recommends that the constitution should be amended or not. The current land-owners such as government, big business, the Anglo’s of this world and the traditional leaders and churches should meet under one roof, together with political parties, to hammer out the “how” part of such a process. People’s expectations have been raised and phase 2 must happen very soon, as there has already been threats of land grabs and even civil war. 5. When will things change? What each of us must take to heart is that things will not change unless we take to task those who have disappointed us… those who have abandoned us. We must stop moaning and do something about those who squander and pillage state resources. It is time for the South African voters to say: NO MORE. We will no longer be fooled by your empty election promises. The ANC must be punished come the 2019 elections. Their support should be drastically cut back as a lesson to any party which thinks it can walk over South Africans. That power lies in the voters’ hands alone; it lies in your hands alone. 6. Closing As I close, I say to the families of those who lost their lives, as well as to those who survived that fateful day; We will keep you in our prayers. We hope that time heals some of your sorrows and that peace will replace some of your heartache. Thank You
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07 Jul, 2015
Letter by Bantu Holomisa, MP to President Jacob Zuma: Marikana, UDM proposes a way forward for Marikana Massacre
Dear Honourable President, RE: UDM PROPOSE A WAY FORWARD FOR MARIKANA MASSACRE August 16, 2015 marks the third anniversary of the Marikana massacre. The Marikana massacre stands out as the worst case of police brutality in the post-Apartheid South Africa, where more than 30 miners were massacred by the South African Police for demanding a living wage and an improvement in their working conditions. The Nation and the families of the victims of the massacre eagerly awaited the release of the report of the Marikana Commission Inquiry, hoping against hope that it would once and for all provide answers to lingering questions about what really happened during that fateful day and who was responsible for it. Upon its release, the report fell hopelessly short of expectations. It provides no clear answers and holds no political leader accountable for the tragic incident, which leaves South Africans and the families of the victims none the wiser. In the midst of all this doom and gloom, and notwithstanding the processes that are currently underway to deal with the after effects of the Marikana massacre, there are a few additional options your Office could explore to turn the situation around, and they are: Establishment of a Committee It is our considered view that Government should initiate the establishment of a Committee compromised of all the relevant stakeholders in Marikana to discuss a possible way forward, which should include, but not limited to, compensation to the families of victims. Such a step would go a long way towards addressing the families’ bread and butter issues, as many of them struggle to make ends meet because their bread winners perished in that tragic incident. Annual Marikana Day In order to prevent such barbaric acts from happening again in future, the United Democratic Movement (UDM) proposes that August 16 be commemorated annually as the National Marikana Day. This will also serve as a reminder to both current and future generations that the price of democracy is eternal vigilance against any abuses of power whether by the state or its organs. We will also table this proposal at the first sitting of Parliament in July as a Motion Without Notice in an attempt to get the National Assembly to officially adopt it as its resolution. I Iook forward to hearing from you. Kind regards, Bantu Holomisa, MP UDM President
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26 May, 2015
2015 Debate on Budget Vote 1: Presidency address by Bantu Holomisa, MP
Hon Speaker and Members The United Democratic Movement supports this budget vote. Mr President, during the State of the Nation Address you declared the year 2015 as the “… year of unity in Action to Advance Economic Freedom”. However, what is not clear, is a common and simple programme that binds the entire society behind this vision. For instance, the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Committee’s work is not known by all citizens. We need a clearer road map of infrastructure development with more achievable targets, timelines and clear monitoring tools. To make matters worse, even the most celebrated National Development Plan does not enjoy the support of the ruling party’s main ally Cosatu. This sometimes causes unnecessary tensions between Labour and Business. Mr President, there is a growing culture of lawlessness that is increasingly characterising us as an unruly Nation that lacks discipline. Every day we witness citizens building homes in places not designed for human settlement, thus leading to multiple social and economic crises. Spatial development for both urban and rural areas requires proper coordination with the involvement of citizens to avoid cost of correcting uncoordinated development post effect. The UDM suggest that a Presidential Council on Sustainable Development with direct participation of the broader civil society be created. This approach will place citizens of the country at the centre of their own development as they seek to realise the vision of the country and promote a culture of ownership of its development direction. Central to the task of the council would be to consolidate and deploy the resources of the country towards an agreed to, development path. Many countries that have practiced this model have benefited significantly. It may be helpful to look again at the experiences of those countries like Canada. The current IDP system lacks aggressive people’s participation. Mr President, we have noted your response in this House about the release of the Marikana report. However, the UDM notes the pressure you find yourself in, given that your highest officials, right from the Deputy President and some Ministers were subject of the work of the commission. It is in the interest of all citizens of this country that you release the report without further delay. Its publication will not deter you from considering its findings. I thank you
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26 May, 2015
UDM sympathises with the Marikana Massacre victims and their families
The decision to take President Jacob Zuma to court by the family members, injured workers of the Marikana massacre and AMCU is the best action to force Zuma to release the findings of the investigation. As the United Democratic Movement, we are in full support of this decision and we hope he will realise the importance of the findings being made public as it is not just a report for the family and the injured miners but a closure of what happened to their loved ones on the 16 August 2012 who were victims in the hands of police while they demanded a better life in the work place. It’s been more than 4 weeks since Zuma received the report but up to now he has not made it known. To South Africans, this is a sign that government does not care about the poor. It is unfair to the victims who lost loved ones while others were brutally injured and now the North West police commissioner Zukiswa Mbombo is evacuating her office at the end of the month while the report has not been made public and she is one of the main state officials to answer to what happened on that day when police officers went berserk killing innocent souls for demanding their rights. Mbombo is not retiring but playing hide and seek, running away from what is in the report. This shows clearly that the delay by Zuma is a way of protecting those close to him and this is disgusting. Statement issued by UDM Secretary General, Bongani Msomi
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21 Mar, 2014
UDM Contribution at Human Rights Day Celebration at Sharpeville
Speech from Mrs Thandi Nontenja (UDM National Treasurer) to be delivered at the Department of Arts and Culture Human Rights Day Programme Director The Minister of the Department of Arts and Culture, Premier of Gauteng – Nomvula Mokonyane Leaders of other Political Parties Fellow South Africans: It is an honour and a privilege to be part of the commemoration of what we used to call Sharpeville Day back then. It is befitting for this day to be called Human Rights Day as the rights of those who were marching on that day were violated by the police under the apartheid regime. Today I want to discuss issues that relate to the challenges we faced as a nation. These challenges form the basis of our common humanity. What happened on that day? More than 50 years ago when the police in Sharpeville saw the masses marching towards them they opened fire, killing approximately 69 individuals and injuring hundreds. The scars are deeply embedded. On a daily basis we remember where we have been as a nation and where we want to be. We want to ensure that human dignity, equality and freedom are always entrenched in the lives of our people. Presently, there are so many questions posed about police brutality in South Africa. Police management is a major problem, this includes; poor training, disrespect for law, lack of accountability, criminals within police ranks and so on. You will recall that the South African Human Rights Commission has also expressed its concerns about policing. The United Democratic Movement (UDM) believes that Human Rights Day should be celebrated in the spirit of pride and joy of our human rights as described in our constitution. The terrible irony is that there have been so many human rights abuses in the past few years like Andries Tatane killing, the Marikana massacre, Madibeng killings, Bekkersdal, the list is endless. This is even more disturbing, when one considers that the government, which should be the custodian of this beautiful piece of legislation, has become a culprit in the abuse of human rights as evidenced by our police’s “shoot first, ask later” doctrine. Government has an undisputable responsibility to take action to end violence and not perpetrate it. Respect for human dignity is a value which should be cherished. People cannot be tortured or be treated in a cruel, inhumane or degrading way. As leaders, let us send a positive message to South Africans at large. Let us remind them about their Human Rights but emphasise the fact that with rights comes responsibility. The UDM believes that whoever violates someone else’s rights forfeits his or her own rights. We cannot have a situation where criminals have more rights than law abiding citizens. The state has a major role to play. The government has to create rules and laws that would guide the behaviour of individuals in the society. Institutions such as the Human Rights Commission must play an active role in the promotion and protection of human rights. We also need a strong national program on human rights education. When people look at their past they have to see a difference in their future. We need to be the authors of a new book where we can tell a new story. A story of a perfect nation that respects the rights of every South African. I thank you.
