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03 Jun, 2020
Youth Month: the need for urgent change
We are always reminded of the bravery of the young people of 1976, who took to the streets of South Africa to fight a system of injustice, prejudice, inequality, racism, sexism, classism, ableism, and suppression. They fought for a regime change and laws that would favour the majority and, in turn, all the people of South Africa. With freedom in 1994, there was a beam of light – it was a new day, a new dispensation, and the dreams and aspirations of all South Africans, especially the young, were awoken. Little did we know that our democratic society would breed greed, have poor leadership who lacked accountability and that the aspirations of the youth of ‘76 would be cast aside. The United Democratic Movement (UDM) Youth Vanguard believes that we find ourselves barely existing in a society of crumbs, whilst the rich, connected elite and the politically powerful enjoy themselves at the expense of the poor masses. Twenty-six years into democracy and South Africa ranks as one of the most unequal societies in the world, with the formerly oppressed still having no opportunities and living in squalor. Our mostly geriatric cabinet has no clue how to deal with young people or their plight. We have for years said that it is necessary to have young people in all kinds of decision-making positions. It is, however, of no use to appoint a token young person as a minister who does not even deal with youth matters. We have an uneven society where a staggering 29% of its youth block is unemployed. To compound matters, youth unemployment must have increased dramatically because of the Covid-19 lockdown and the end is not in sight. Another thing the pandemic has proven, is our country’s lack of innovation and research tools. South Africa will need an economic repositioning, which focuses on youth and skills development. We no longer want to hear lip service; we want rigorous action. The UDM Youth Vanguard also believes that our education system needs a major overhaul as it mostly generates dropouts and perpetual jobseekers. There must be greater focus on building young people to be job-creators – skilling them to, for instance, be innovators and artisans, work the land and produce food and start small businesses that can grow. Such a transformed education system must speak to today’s needs considering the current industrial revolution. As we remember the youth of ’76, we call on all young South Africans to reflect and ask themselves what their role in society is and whether they think they have been playing that role. It begins with a right and responsibility to vote and to make the right choice i.e. to not vote based on sentiment. Our message to young South African’s is this: vote with your minds and realise that betting on the same horse for the past 26 years has gotten us nowhere; the UDM Youth Vanguard believes that the United Democratic Movement is deserving of your vote in the next elections. We wish everyone a well in celebrating Youth Month 2020. Issued by: Mr Yongama Zigebe UDMYV Spokesperson
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22 May, 2020
Covid-19 and government: a worst nightmare for women and children
The United Democratic Movement Women’s Organisation (UDEMWO) is deeply perturbed by how life is turning out for many South Africans, especially women, as we daily hear of large numbers of retrenchments, due to the Covid-19 lockdown. This is hitting very hard in the cases of sole family-breadwinners. It was recently reported that there is a spike in child abandonment, which is attributed to the desperate choices of parents who are in the throes of financial hardship as the country experiences unimpeded job losses. According to Premier David Makhura, Gauteng, on its own, may lose about two million jobs, which means that child abandonment will likely increase. As much as it is good that abused women and children can contact the Gender-Based Violence Command Centre for assistance, children could be far more vulnerable as they have less resources, emotionally and physically, to make that life-saving call. UDEMWO is also worried that the government departments, which are supposed to look after South Africa’s most vulnerable, are failing them dismally. The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) is the worst of them all, with shoddy service and poor communication around processes and forms. In addition, Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu seems to not have her facts straight as she recently appealed for the distribution of food-parcels to not be politicised, yet this is exactly what the ruling party is being accused of lately, with evidence of this floating all over social media. There is something very wrong with this entire picture, as government seems to not realise how its inefficient systems are negatively affecting the poorest of the poor, who are fighting for their very existence. Government is not providing effective leadership and services where this is concerned. Issued by: Ms Thandi Nontenja UDEMWO Secretary General
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06 May, 2015
Freedom Day Debate
ADDRESS BY Mr BH Holomisa MP in the National Assembly Hon Speaker and members The struggle for total freedom is a Nation’s struggle, fought from all corners of society. People; individually, collectively and through organised voluntary associations and other organs, fought for a free South Africa either by default or by design. The circumstances under which we celebrate the 21st Anniversary of our democracy, necessitate that we draw lessons from some of the fundamental ingredients that made the struggle against apartheid successful. The high levels of poverty, unemployment, inequality and corruption, demand that we go back to the collective and inclusive approach. Surely the exclusion of many, with requisite skills and knowledge in the name of the so-called deployment policy, does not help the nation to successfully confront these challenges. If this exclusionist approach is not attended to, the realisation of today’s theme is a dream because it will perpetuate the beneficiation of the few amongst those associated with the ruling elite. Acceleration of radical economic transformation requires amongst others very trusted and dedicated leadership which is not in the deep pockets of the upper class. The key challenge for the realisation of this theme, is the fact the ruling alliance is found wanting on the economic policy direction that the country should follow, 21 years into democracy. Instead of consolidating, it finds itself in crisis of a major disintegration with absolutely no hope of providing leadership on the very same theme. Clearly, the radical economic transformation agenda cannot be allowed to be a private property of this dis-integrated elite. Time for the people of this country to take charge of their freedom and drive their own development is long overdue. Let the nation unite and march to the powers that be against poverty, unemployment, corruption and nepotism. I thank you. End
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24 Sep, 2013
South Africa on the Slippery Slope
Article by Bantu Holomisa published in the New Agenda During my career I have witnessed many governments come and go. As a former head of the Transkei Military Government, I have had an overview of what the Apartheid Government and the Bantustans had done, in comparison with what the current government is doing. The previous regime’s policies and abuse of human rights is well documented; including some homelands. Although I was heading this discredited institution, I was able to forge close links with all the liberation movements, when we ascended to power, as my government lent a shoulder in fighting for the freedom of all South Africans. One of the reasons why we supported the struggle was that we were hopeful that the new government would address the backlogs and imbalances of the past, especially in the townships and homelands. Indeed when the African National Congress (ANC) ascended to power in 1994 we can say that they started well. They made much progress in areas such as electrification, access to water and providing homes for the poor in the cities. However what shocked South Africans is the poor quality of the infrastructure they were given. Electricity is not reliable; water projects are launched only to break down after a few months and the RDP houses are worse than those built for blacks by the Apartheid government. Many towns have become slums because of the poor maintenance of infrastructure across the country. Where they had failed completely was on the question of employment. We see stark difference between the economic policies of the partners in the ruling alliance and in the past twenty years they have spent much energy vacillating between which routes to follow. Unemployment and poverty is a direct contradiction of freedom. Real freedom – political, social and economic – provides dignity to a nation. On the other hand, unemployment and poverty undermines it. South Africans are suspicious and mistrust government because of perceptions that it is not equitably distributing the resources of the country. A new privileged political elite exclusively enjoys the resources. There is no consensus on a macro-economic policy that can transform the economy in a manner that could create and spread wealth wider and improve the lot of the disadvantaged majority. There are in particular concerns about the inadequacies and contradictions of the fiscal and industrial policies. Our economy suffers from jobless growth due to the confusion created by an ambivalent tripartite alliance. This ruling clique preaches elimination of unemployment in the streets and legislate retrenchments and greater unemployment in Parliament. In the past 16 years, the United Democratic Movement (UDM) has been calling for GOVERNMENT TO DO MORE! Government has a responsibility to intervene and protect the South African economy and South African jobs when necessary. Whilst Free Market Capitalism is the best economic system developed by humanity, it is still fraught with weaknesses and failures that must be actively managed. The situation in South Africa is compounded by high levels of corruption. The UDM has over the years been involved in exposing many of these scandals. We have the resolve and commitment to fight corruption, and take on any party, no matter its history or power, to ensure that South Africans have the ethical governance that they deserve. These are but some examples of the UDM’s active role in national politics and the further consolidation of South Africa’s democracy. As our actions and words have proved, the UDM is a viable, trustworthy and reliable opposition party.
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10 Dec, 1997
The challenges facing South Africa as we approach the New Millennium
Presented by Mr Bantu Holomisa, UDM Co-leader, at the South African Institute of Race Relations, Johannesburg In the letter of invitation which I received from the Institute of Race Relations, it is stated that the United Democratic Movement (UDM) is attracting much media attention. The UDM on the other hand feels that scant attention is paid to its activities by the media, so it is a matter of debate as to whether we enjoy any sufficient media coverage or not. However, what is important to us is the reasons of our existence or the process which led to the formation of the UDM. The process which led to the first 1994 April democratic elections in the history of South Africa was initiated to bring about freedom to the people of South Africa. Indeed the first democratic government was unveiled to assume its task of continuing with the democratisation process of state institutions, above all to bring about qualitative change and particularly improving the lives of the poor. The UDM is ready to measure to current and future challenges facing South Africa, as we approach the 21 Century. We embrace the challenge with passion and alacrity the practical demands of rebuilding our severely divided society with unprecedented vigour. We will set free the creative power inherent in our diversity, and will co-operate with all stake-holders to ensure a quality of life and freedom for every citizen, based on good governance and civil order, towards being a winning nation. The UDM presently is for obvious reasons not represented at parliament. This does not necessarily mean that our primarily aim is to contest the 1999 elections and be part and parcel of other political parties in parliament without any broader vision and sense of purpose. We clearly see ourselves playing an effective role outside and inside parliament if ever we gets sufficient seats in 1999 elections. The UDM programme of action is geared towards the achievement of just social outcome. In dealing with: unemployment; civil order; housing; education; economy; We are currently involved in the process of designing specific policy positions, what the UDM have contrary to what is said, is broader policy framework or principles. Can the current political parties stand to the current and future challenges? The parliamentary experience/or observations such as: the inability of minority parties to exert pressure and hold the executive to account; the majority party using its numeric strength to dismiss constructive views from other parties; the past activities of parties in parliament being used by the majority party to weaken its opposition during policy-making process with some of the issues with no direct connection on what is being deliberated upon; These are some of the factors, which had weakened the current political parties in terms of playing effective opposition role. It is against this background that the UDM has a role to play and to fill this gap and unite the country by consolidating and defending this hard won fledgling democracy as we move towards the 21 Century and positioning ourselves in dealing with the unforeseen challenges of the future and building together a just society for all. The role of civil society in addressing these challenges should not be undermined. The non-government sector in South Africa has played an important role in making sure that Apartheid as government policy fails. This sector has played an important role in capacitating our communities through various means, in the form of training, poverty reduction programmes, particularly in the rural areas, providing support for small and medium enterprises for the disadvantaged sector of our communities, adult basic education to combat illiteracy. The South African Institute of Race Relations with other similar minded NGOs has in the past and I believe still made education a priority by recognising its importance as a liberating tool. The fact that these institutions granted scholarships and bursaries to the needy bears testimony to this commitment of uplifting our communities. It clear that the government alone cannot transform our society without the active involvement of the Non-governmental Institutions. The fact that NGOs by their nature are suppose to be apolitical they are strategically placed to intervene on behalf of citizens, especially when the government is inclined to abuse its political power in pursuance of sectional/ or individual interests. The civil society can effectively play its role by supplementing oppositional parties in government. This can be achieved by being public watchdogs or whistle blowers, especially when acts of corruption are detected. However, we do acknowledge the limitations which the NGOs are faced with in carrying out their mandate, precisely that the funding environment had dried up. The future direction of South Africa is already mapped by the ANC through RDP initially which was later abandoned and replaced by GEAR as government normative policy document, it sets out in no uncertain terms as to what the ANC hopes to achieve in a given period from job creation to provision of infrastructure. Today teachers who are supposed to be building the nation are to be retrenched. So compare the objectives of GEAR with what is happening now. Is it more jobs or speedy retrenchments of the people whom should be benefiting from the new dispensation? Judge for yourselves… In conclusion I wish to take this opportunity to thank the Institute of Race Relations for inviting me and the audience. Bantu Holomisa UDM Co-leader
