Admin
12 Mar, 2026
Request for Parliament to accord appropriate recognition due to the late Mr Mosiuoa
12 March 2026 Ms Thokozile Didiza, MP Speaker of the National Assembly Parliament of the Republic of South Africa PO Box 15 Cape Town 8000 Dear Speaker Request for Parliament to accord appropriate recognition due to the late Mr Mosiuoa Lekota 1. I write to you on behalf of the United Democratic Movement (UDM) regarding the passing of the late Mr Mosiuoa Lekota, a veteran of the liberation struggle and a public servant whose contribution to South Africa’s democratic Parliament is beyond dispute. 2. Mr Lekota served this country with distinction across several decades of public life. Of particular relevance to the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa (Parliament), he served as the inaugural Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) following the establishment of that institution under the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. In that capacity he presided over the second house of Parliament during the formative years of our democratic order and played a meaningful role in shaping the institutional culture and procedures of the NCOP. 3. His broader record of service also includes his tenure as Premier of the Free State and later as Minister of Defence. Across these roles Mr Lekota remained a prominent figure in South African public life and a participant in the difficult work of building democratic institutions in the post-apartheid era. 4. As you are aware, I raised the question of appropriate recognition by Parliament for the late Mr Lekota through the proper parliamentary forums. Unfortunately, the proposal that Parliament formally recognise his contribution was not supported. 5. This outcome is difficult to reconcile with the precedent recently established when Parliament accorded significant institutional recognition to the late Dr Frene Ginwala, former Speaker of the National Assembly. Dr Ginwala was rightly honoured for the historic role she played as the presiding officer of the first democratically elected National Assembly during the formative years of South Africa’s constitutional democracy. 6. In this regard, Mr Lekota’s position in the institutional history of Parliament is directly comparable. As the inaugural Chairperson of the NCOP, he presided over the second house of Parliament during the same foundational period of the first democratic administration. In institutional terms, the role he performed for the NCOP is equivalent to the role performed by Dr Ginwala in the National Assembly. It would therefore be difficult to justify why Parliament would recognise the contribution of one foundational presiding officer while declining to recognise the other. 7. It would therefore be difficult to justify why a leader of Mr Lekota’s stature would not receive comparable institutional recognition. Any perception that recognition is withheld because he later occupied the opposition benches would be deeply unfortunate and would risk creating the impression that Parliament honours former leaders selectively. 8. Parliament is an institution that must stand above party political divisions when recognising those who have contributed to the democratic project. Mr Lekota’s record of service to South Africa, and to Parliament itself, warrants acknowledgement in keeping with the precedent that has already been established. 9. With the funeral of Mr Lekota scheduled to take place this coming Saturday, 14 March 2026 and I respectfully urge your office to reconsider this matter as a matter of urgency so that Parliament may act in a manner that reflects both institutional consistency and respect for the democratic legacy of the late Mr Lekota. Yours sincerely Mr NLS Kwankwa, MP Deputy President of the United Democratic Movement Party Leader in Parliament
Admin
28 Aug, 2014
Threat to Julius Malema ’s life: two wrongs do not make a right
Statement by Mr Bongani Msomi, UDM Secretary General Much opinion has been expressed at the Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) recent outburst in Parliament; 1) some agree wholeheartedly with the message and the lack of adherence to Parliamentary decorum, 2) some agree with the message, but do not agree with the EFF’s manner in expressing themselves and 3) some cannot stomach the message nor the flare-up. Be that as it may, the United Democratic Movement (UDM) believes that bussing in African National Congress members to Parliament to threaten Julius Malema ’s life is not on. There are internal rules and regulations that govern the conduct of Members of Parliament, as well as mechanisms to handle situations where that code of conduct has been breached. Two wrongs do not make a right. Read more on the issue on ENCA
Admin
22 Jul, 2014
Budget Vote 2: Parliament
Address by Mr Nqabayomzi Kwankwa, MP in the National Assembly Budget Vote 2: Parliament Madam Speaker, Deputy President and Honourable Members, Parliament derives its power directly from the people. We are therefore all here to implement the will of the people. Once elected, our people therefore expect us to rise above ideological cleavages and narrow partisan interests to build a better South Africa for all, both Black and White. Deputy Speaker, Speaking time is essential for pluralist and representative debates that communicate the will of the people of South Africa and the constituencies the various political parties in this House represent. We are concerned that the current proportional speaking formula in Parliament does not provide us, the so-called smaller opposition parties or other parties as we prefer to call ourselves, enough opportunity to clearly articulate the will of our people and constituencies. Applying the crude principle of proportionality on speaking times does not bode well for both the reputation and image of this august Institution. For example, at times speakers’ times expire before the speakers had managed to put their points across – thus leaving the public questioning the purpose and quality of contribution. It is therefore important for Parliament to look into ways in which speaking times allow all parties to add maximum value to what are often complex parliamentary debates. We are aware that political parties have since the beginning of this term worked together to improve the situation and we appreciate the efforts. However, we believe there is still more room for improvement. Our view is that the minimum speaking time for parliamentary debates should be five minutes. Deputy Speaker, In the last term, there were instances, where people complained about the lack of proper consultation on Bills before this House. There were also a number of cases, where Bills were withdrawn to allow for further consultation. The Info Bill was example where the public consultation process was not done properly. There have also been cases, where Bills were passed by this House only to be declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court. We have to work hard to improve the quality of the legislation we pass. We also have a duty to ensure that the public is central to the lawmaking process of Parliament. Our laws should be based on and informed by the will of the people. Put differently, the People Must Govern! Deputy Speaker, We commend support systems that Parliament has been put in place, such as the Budget Office, to shore up the work of individual Members of Parliament (MPs) and the Committees. This will go a long way towards improving the effectiveness of MPs and Parliament in their oversight role and in holding Government accountable for its programmes. The UDM supports Budget Vote 2. Thank you.
Admin
13 May, 2014
Elections 2014 – Thank you to UDM supporters and members for hard work
Dear All Thank you for your support and votes in the National and Provincial elections on May 7th. I would also like to extend my appreciation to all the United Democratic Movement (UDM) members and leaders. We have all had the opportunity to meet so many amazing, progressive people throughout this campaign period, I hope that each and every one of you stays in touch and stays involved. I can confirm that the UDM has been allocated two seats from the National List [10th] and two seats from the Regional List to National in Eastern Cape, making the total of four seats in the National Assembly. We also qualify for a seat of a permanent delegate to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP). In total the UDM will have five Public Representatives represented in Cape Town. Looking at the UDM candidates who will be sworn-in in the National Assembly we were challenged when it comes to gender balancing. In the last five years we have been coming under heavy criticism in the House because the UDM did not have a female representative. Mr Lennox Gaehler who is one of the candidates will voluntarily go to the NCOP and accommodate a woman candidate in the National Assembly (Ms Cynthia Majeke). Let’s continue to build the movement. I have faith in the Party and faith in the people of South Africa especially UDM members. Yours in Party building, Mr BJ Msomi UDM Secretary General
