Admin
18 Feb, 2017
Bantu Holomisa addresses the UDM Regional Council in Port Elizabeth
• National and Provincial leaders of the UDM, • Regional and Local UDM leaders, • UDM Public Representatives • Members of the United Democratic Movement 1. Ascendancy Profile – organisational programme for 2017 The National Council of the United Democratic Movement (UDM), held on the 3rd of December 2016, took the time to discuss the challenges we would face in the wake of the August 2016 Municipal Elections and to map the way forward towards the 2019 National and Provincial Elections and beyond. The National Council took several important decisions, amongst others, that it is a priority for the Party to re-organise our structures starting with the basic organisational building blocks i.e. the branches. Our Constitution is clear on the life-cycles of executive committees at the various structural levels, but the National Council deemed it necessary for us to “start from scratch” and that we should do so as soon as possible. In this regard, the UDM’s National Secretariat has declared 2017 as the year to revive Party structures from branch-level, right up to provincial-level. The implication of this massive exercise is that we must launch our branches, as well as regional and provincial structures in accordance with the UDM Constitution and do so within a very short space of time. In order to reach critical mass, a minimum of 60 branches must be launched, and should pass stringent audit, before a Region may qualify to host a Congress. Such Regional Congresses must happen by the end of May 2017. The Provincial Congress of the UDM in the Eastern Cape must in in turn happen by June. This means a lot of work has to be done. This task requires that the UDM in the Nelson Mandela Bay Region, must develop a concrete and clear programme of action that is aligned to our Ascendancy Profile, to map your road towards launching your branches, hosting a Regional Congress when you will elect regional leadership. Your programme of action must for instance: • Tally the number of existing branches that are in good standing; • Depict the number of branches that must be re-launched; • Identify areas where new branches can be established and launch such new branches; • Compile recruiter packs to assist our field-workers to renew membership and register new members; • List the dates, times and venues of new branch launch meetings or the annual general meetings of existing branches; • Consider the practical deployment of regional leadership to oversee each branch launch or re-launch; • Once a branch has been launched, the Branch Secretary must ensure that the required paperwork is submitted to the provincial and national offices timeously. • Although branches may still be launched, no branch will be considered for auditing and may not participate in any congress, if their Q1-forms are submitted after the 4-week deadline. • Define clear achievable timeframes for each of the activities in the programme of action. Most important is the daily activities of the UDM membership at a branch-level. Given that our branches should be demarcated in line with the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) Voting Districts (VDs), it requires that our daily activity plan is based on the needs of the people in a particular VD and/or in a particular ward. To be able to recruit new members and renew existing membership, our strategies of engaging communities must be relevant to the issues that affect their daily lives. We must have daily activity plans that places the UDM at the centre of the lives of the citizens in the VD and/or ward where they reside. During the 2016 Municipal Elections, our slogan was: Put Communities First! This is still our prevailing message working towards 2019 and beyond. Therefore, our daily activities as members of UDM must be about the issues that affect a particular community, for example: • water leakages, potholes and/or broken street-lamps, • lack of houses and toilets, • poor spatial development, • access roads and bridges, • crime, gangs and community safety in general, • drug and alcohol abuse, • well stocked and equipped health facilities, • access to basic education and adult education programmes, • refuse removal and pest control, • clean community spaces such as parks and cemeteries, • safe areas for children to interact, • access to ID cards and assistance with child or old-age grants, • community projects such as vegetable gardens and safe harbours for victims of domestic abuse, • in other words, any issue affecting the daily life of the people on the ground. This is the programme of action for all UDM members and structures, and you are called upon to plan and implement it immediately as soon we conclude this Regional Council. 2. Coalition government in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality As you are aware, after the 2016 Municipal Elections, the UDM took the correct decision to be part of the Coalition Government of Opposition Parties. We entered into a five-year agreement which I had signed as the President of the UDM. In this regard, we affirm our commitment to the coalition government of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality and will do everything possible to make it succeed in the service of the people of this area. When we took this decision, we were fully aware of the inherent challenges of a coalition government, but we respected the decision of the people of Nelson Mandela Bay who said, through a democratic process, that they were tired of an African National Congress (ANC) dominated local government. It is not in the ANC’s interest to have this coalition government succeed and we are aware of their desperate attempts to recapture control of this municipality through devious and dirty means. The UDM shall never capitulate and cooperate with them. It was widely reported that there recently was so-called “tension” between the Democratic Alliance’s Executive Mayor and the UDM’s Deputy Executive Mayor. The ANC did everything in their power to blow the matter out of proportion and drive a wedge into this relationship. For your information, there was an administrative misunderstanding that did not threaten a collapse of governance in the metro. The UDM shall always focus on serving the entire community of Nelson Mandela Bay and shall not be led astray by attempts to rock the boat. 3. The work of the UDM in Council Regarding the work of our councillors, one of the urgent issues we must agitate for is the Minister’s well-published allocation of R4 billion towards human settlements. We must work with the Council to demand to see this budget and the implementation programme. Also, on the eve of elections, the ANC administration passed a very populist indigent policy known as the Assistance to the Poor and Rebates policy (ATTP) that has resulted in the bankruptcy of the municipality. They passed this policy in order to attract votes, but residents had already made up their minds that the ANC had lost the plot. UDM councillors must work collectively with their colleagues in the coalition government to find urgent solutions on these matters. The UDM must be at the forefront of rooting out every vestige of ANC corruption and maladministration in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro Municipality. Our councillors must be seen to unambiguously fight for the eradication of all forms of corruption. This is consistent with what I had said during the Parliamentary debate on the State of the Nation (SONA). In order to put the people if Nelson Mandela Bay first, our councillors must be at all Council meetings and participate in its activities. They must make constructive and qualitative contributions, and focus on strategic issues. All meetings – whether it’s a committee meeting and/or a full Council sitting – must quorate and must take decisions in service of the people. UDM councillors must, when such is required, seek guidance from the leadership of the Party. They must also ensure that they secure proper and qualified technical support as provided for in the Council regulations. Because this is a municipality where the UDM occupies the second highest office, I personally commit to pay a special attention to our work in Council and regularly report to the national leadership. We must not lose momentum or focus. We must harness the energy we’ve generated thus far and use it to find solutions to the challenges facing the people of Nelson Mandela Bay. 4. Working for communities and making communities work 4.1. Putting Communities First: participation in ward committees To achieve our organisational vision and mission, and to make a positive impact on our communities, UDM members must be part of ward committees. Don’t let the ANC scupper our efforts in the Metro by allowing them to hijack ward committees. We must be pro-active and active to raise the issues that affect the people through the correct channels provided for in Council. 4.2. Putting Communities First: review of the IDP The review of the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) for the financial year 2017/18 is underway. Therefore, as part of the coalition government, our task is to know the issues people want pushed in each ward. We must take those to the IDP forums for discussion, integration and budget allocation. We must call for Ward Based Development Plans and budgets. The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipal IDP and budget must be as collection and integration of ward based needs. We must never fail to carry-out this is a task if we are to be true to our manifesto. 5. The UDM’s 20th Anniversary 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. As we announced in our contribution to the State of the Nation Address debate, we have already begun with our preparations for a National Consultative Conference. We want to give opportunity to South Africans of all backgrounds to play a role and bear influence on the UDM. We want to update and reshape our policies as guided by our vision, mission and party platform; and always honour of our Country’s Constitution. We have always promoted the idea that: Government must do more. This is consistent with our principle of Putting Communities First, before ourselves, which is in contrast with the political fashion of today. The UDM is not about individual leaders; it is about the people and therefore, our policy review process will take into cognisance this important principle. 6. Towards 2019 National and Provincial Elections The work we must do in terms of our Ascendency Profile, as well as our work in this Municipality’s Council, must lay a firm foundation for a formidable campaign for the 2019 National and Provincial Elections. In addition to all of the work already mentioned, we must begin now to: • Identify persons to be our party agents and train them, • Ensure that we participate in by-elections where we can make a difference; • Encourage and assist people to get identity cards; • Encourage new voters to register with the IEC at the offices of the Municipal Electoral Officer; • Know where all the Voting Stations are, in all wards; • Participate in the demarcation processes of the Demarcation Board; • Appoint members to the Municipal Party Liaison Committee (MPLC) and attend all MPLC meetings; • Train all branch members as UDM canvassers; • Get the current voter’s roll and monitor the movement of voters from one VD to another; • Pick up on issues that will constitute our manifesto for 2019; With this work, we must continue the fight against corruption, the arrogance of power and the dominance of the ANC. The voice of the people as expressed in 2016 must be heard and realised in 2019. We must aim for better performance. 7. Conclusion On behalf of the national leadership of the UDM, I wish you very fruitful discussions and please, make sure that you represent your party and conduct yourselves in accordance with our Constitution. Good luck and thank you!
Admin
24 Dec, 2015
Christmas and New Year’s message from Bantu Holomisa
Fellow South Africans, I herewith extend my heartfelt wishes for a peaceful 2015/2016 festive season. As we bid farewell to this year we are appreciative of our achievements and mindful of the challenges we face. 2015 was a good year for the United Democratic Movement (UDM) and the nation. It is a year in which my family and I celebrated my 60th birthday. My extended family and friends celebrated this achievement both in Gauteng and in Mqanduli – where my roots are. I thank all citizens for taking the time to join me and my family as we marked this milestone. The leadership of the UDM continues to serve the party, and the nation, as we promised this time last year. Indeed, we provided clear and successful leadership in fighting for clean governance and, amongst others, we helped the IEC to cleanse itself. We also increased our positive contribution to shape the legislative regime that takes forward the interests of the citizens in both the national and the Eastern Cape legislatures. This is the year in which the citizens of this country in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, Ward 30, entrusted their livelihood to the leadership of the UDM. Once again, I humbly say thank you to the people of this area; we shall not disappoint you. In 2015 the UDM successfully held its our 5th National Congress. This congress will provide a firm base to sustain the vision and mission of the Party, with very clear and practical resolutions to be implemented. In this regard, I thank all UDM members for their work. Indeed, the UDM is a party to be reckoned with, as it brands itself to be relevant in the 21st century. We are currently in a drive to ensure that all citizens join our movement toward the realisation of our noble dream. This is the basis of our campaign theme for the 2016 Municipal Elections: “Put Communities First. Save South Africa – Live the Dream”. In few days’ time, the 2015 matric results will be announced. I wish to congratulate the class of 2015 in anticipation. I hope that these results will bring hope for better and quality education for the nation. Accordingly, I must congratulate the class of 2015 from all tertiary institutions for putting the need for free quality education high on the agenda of the nation. The UDM believes that education is the cornerstone of our developmental agenda. The year 2016 is the year for the citizens of this country to determine their destiny by electing leaders who will represent their aspirations. The UDM is ready to give citizens an opportunity to govern directly by electing their own representatives. Let us begin 2016 with the commitment to make our democracy and freedom a reality. Accordingly, the UDM will continue to make South Africa and its people a priority. Amongst others, we shall do everything possible to ensure that our country is provided with the leadership it yearns for and deserves. The critical challenge of addressing poverty, inequality, unemployment and the inherent cancer of corruption, shall remain high on our agenda. Our efforts to fight these scourges are important in order to raise the floor of prosperity and it must go hand-in-hand with democracy and freedom. The robust and open debate in our National Assembly enhances accountability and responsiveness, as well as the health of our multi-party democracy. Accordingly, the UDM shall continue making sure that this centre of power conducts its constitutional mandate in accordance with the prescripts of the law and the relevant rules and regulations. The Public Protector and other institutions of democracy continue to do well for our democracy. The UDM will continue in the new year to support these institutions and defend the gains of our democracy. The number of road accidents on our roads remains unacceptable. In this regard, the UDM calls on all citizens to respond to the important messages communicated to ensure safety on our roads. Similarly, we must double our efforts to reduce fatalities in our traditional circumcision schools. On behalf of the UDM, I wish fellow South Africans safe passage and happy and successful 2016.
Admin
13 Dec, 2015
UDM Manifesto 2016 Municipal Elections
Message of the UDM President of the UDM, Mr Bantu Holomisa, MP Dear Voter This is our opportunity to demonstrate on a local level that there are solutions to the challenges that face us. United in our desire to create better villages, towns and cities, we can light the way and show which policies should be applied nationally. We have it within our power to affect changes that will result in genuine improvements in the lives of South Africans. There is one thing that we can all agree on: change is necessary! In this election you are not simply choosing between one political party and another. You can choose another five years of the same old discredited policies and poor service delivery, or you can choose change for the better. Some will be quick to point out that much has been done in the past 20 years to improve the political, social and economic landscape. But we look at our daily reality and know that many of these accomplishments are overstated. For instance – when the ANC government claims to have built more houses, they should admit that more people have badly-built houses. And when the ANC government claims to have provided more services, they should admit that more people are receiving bad and unreliable services. When they claim to have built more infrastructure like roads, they should admit that it is mostly just more tolls and more potholes. To add insult to injury elite projects like the E-tolls funnel our taxpayer money out of the country. When did we stop trying to be a world-class nation? To be the best? To excel? To measure ourselves not against the past but against our highest ideals? When did Apartheid become the benchmark… for us to settle for inefficiency, corruption and mediocrity because “at least it’s not Apartheid”
