The UDM believes that traditional circumcision speaks to the essence of being of many of the people our people.
Whilst the UDM is fully cognisant of the horrific number of fatalities suffered by initiates at traditional circumcision schools, a sensitive balance must be kept between prevention of loss of life, innovation and the preservation of our culture.
Yes, the UDM believes in respect for, and the promotion of, universal human rights, justice and democracy.
South Africa’s peaceful transformation to democracy gives it the moral status and legitimacy to play a leading and universal role in the promotion of human rights and democracy.
While the UDM believes that the role of an interfering international moral crusader would be counter-productive and harmful to South Africa’s national interests, it stands for “prudent activism” and collective foreign policy engagement e.g. multilateral peace-keeping in cases of serious human rights violations.
A UDM government will cooperate with other states and international bodies such as the United Nations to protect and promote human rights and democracy on a universal basis.
At the outset, a UDM Government shall ensure a coherent framework for the development of, and investment in the energy sector. In this respect, the formulation of an Integrated Energy Plan shall be paramount, which will include enhanced attention to renewable energy resources.
The UDM will promote renewable energy resources as a greater component in the energy mix of South Africa. Renewable energy resources include hydro, solar and wind related energy generation.
To this end economically feasible technologies and applications shall be encouraged and implemented, if necessary, by way of incentives. Targets will be set for the gradual and systematic increase in the use of renewable energy resources, coupled with a reduction in the reliance on finite and environmentally unsound energy resources.
There has recently been some interest in the subject of the nationalisation of mines which raised tensions to a boiling point. This situation resulted in great instability, not only amongst mine workers and their employers, but it also negatively impacted on South Africa as an investment destination.
The UDM would add the topic of mining as one of the major points of discussion at the economic indaba we have proposed. Some of the matters to be discussed are:
• the question of ownership of land, mines and mineral wealth.
• the allocation of mining rights to the ruling elite and its implications.
• socio-economic conditions of the workers and the communities that settle close to where the jobs are.
• the controversial issue of mineworkers’ access, or lack thereof, to a provident fund worth billions of rands.
• the unions’ investment arms and the pay-out of dividends to workers who have contributed to the fund.
• the appointment of an independent commission of inquiry to investigate how these workers’ monies had been invested, especially in cases where the workers were retrenched, had retired or passed away.
Xenophobia is an unhappy truth and we need to build an internal economic capacity in our country to minimise the growing xenophobia which is spawned by competition for scarce resources by locals and immigrants.
Government can hardly blame our people for their violent expression of dissatisfaction with the situation – this however does not excuse burning down shops and hurting fellow human beings.
In addition the UDM believes that effective border control, specifically illegal arrival/departure of goods and persons, is necessary and that this would also curb xenophobic attacks.
The UDM subscribes to the South African constitution which states in Section 12(2)(a) that, “Everyone has the right to bodily and psychological integrity, which includes the right […] to make decisions concerning reproduction,” while section 27(1)(a) states “Everyone has the right to have access to […] health care services, including reproductive health care.”
We, however, also recognise that many South Africans do not agree with a pro-choice point of view and since this not a decision to be made lightly, the UDM favours a referendum on abortion, and if necessary, an amendment of the constitution.
Women are the backbone of our society; they are life-givers, nurturers and educators. They are our foundation and our moral compass.
The vast black majority of this country are still relegated to physical, economic and social backwaters of society with inferior education and health. Among these poor and marginalised masses, women are often the poorest of the poor.
In addition, the unfortunately reality is that there is no equitable partnership between men and women in South Africa.
As a nation, we need to make a social paradigm shift about gender-equality that should usher in a new generation of women and men working together to create a humane world order.
The concept of “traditional leaders” does not only include kings, but the whole hierarchy of traditional rule and this includes, for instance, chiefs and headmen.
For millions of South Africans, traditional leaders are the custodians of their culture, traditions and values. They are authority figures, undisputed leaders and they are decision makers. They are closest form of government to our people, especially in rural South Africa.
When you talk about “lifestyle”, it has a negative connotation – I guess that the example here is His Majesty King Zwelethini and the perceived excesses of his lifestyle at the taxpayer’s expense. The sad irony is that there are gross disparities between how the traditional leaders of the various tribes, at various levels, are treated.
The UDM will never support the indiscriminate waste of taxpayers’ money, but we are of the view that the value of the perks (such as vehicles) must be properly budgeted for and, of critical importance, is that such perks should be standardised across the board for ministers, deputy-ministers, directors general, mayors and traditional leaders.
Our constitution protects our individual rights and freedoms. Customary law in some of our cultures allow for a man to have several wives. Although we don’t think this is prevalent in South Africa; if a man can have several wives, what is to stop a woman from having several husbands?
We however do not think that this topic would have been a point of discussion if it had not been for the fact that President Zuma is a practising polygamist.
At the heart of this debate is not whether one approves or disapproves of this practice, but whether the taxpayer must foot the bill for their lifestyles – even should Mr Zuma accumulate another wife or wives.
When one considers the whole Nkandla debacle, the whole issue crystallises into an even clearer picture.
The basic health care system itself.
Currently the poor are still disadvantaged in regards their access to, and the quality of, the primary health care they receive. It remains a sad fact of daily life for many South Africans who have to travel long distances to the nearest clinic or hospital.
Hygiene at many clinics and hospitals are at unacceptable levels and must be addressed immediately. Provision and medicine stock at many clinics and hospitals fall far short of the basic requirements. The current spread of infrastructure and services prevent medicine from reaching hospitals and clinics.
Inefficient mechanisms in the current system deprives patients, especially those in a critical state or in emergency, from being treated timeously and/or referred to institutions that are able to deal with their needs. At the moment patients are forced to wait hours and sit in long queues before they are assisted by staff that have a dismissive attitude towards their fellow humans in need.
The country’s states that each South African is entitled to basic health care and the UDM supports the idea of helping the poorest of the poor. One of our main philosophical points of departure is: “Government must do more”.
The danger with a national health insurance is that this will be maladministered. Check and balances need to be put in place and monitored closely.
Some believe that South Africa’s massive social security programme is a calculated strategy by current government to maintain power