Mungo Soggot
The United Democratic Movement this week slated the business community for the African National Congress’s majority, saying business could have thwarted the landslide victory had it supported opposition parties
The UDM emerged as a significant opposition player, on track this week to bag at least nine seats in the National Assembly, which will put both the party’s head, Bantu Holomisa, and his sidekick, Roelf Meyer, back in Parliament. The party is set to be the official opposition in the Eastern Cape and the Northern Province.
It pulled off its 3% of the national vote despite a measly election budget of about R2-million. “We had nothing, no money,” said Meyer, who together with Holomisa, blamed the business community for having failed to stop the ANC juggernaut.
Meyer said: “I sincerely believe that if the ANC gets a two-thirds majority then it will be business that will have to be held responsible. Because if they had supported us to market ourselves we’d have double the amount … I am sad that I have to say that.”
Holomisa, the former ANC firebrand, emphatically ruled out any co-operation with the Democratic Party or any other rival opposition party. He said the DP was interested only in “ganging up against the ANC and opposing” whereas the UDM had a vision and culture it wanted to spread. Holomisa said the fledgling party risked being swallowed up if it struck any alliances – even if they be short term and tactical.
Meyer said he was confident the party would attract significant funding now that it had a presence in Parliament, explaining that several businesses had pledged their support if the UDM fared well at the polls.
Meyer, the former National Party’s golden boy, dismissed the perception that the UDM is weak on policy and has focused mainly on knocking the government.
“Our manifesto was far more clear and succinct in terms of practical solutions for the country than any other political party. I can say that emphatically,” he said. “On the economy, the answer is enterprise development through which we want to empower all South Africans.”
In the 20 months since its inception, the UDM has been criticised for its opportunistic association with some of the less savoury players in South African politics, most notably the former homeland leader, Lucas Mangope, and one of KwaZulu- Natal’s most savage warlords, Sifiso Nkabinde, who was assassinated this year.
More recently, the ANC has sought to make political mileage out of the UDM’s association with an increasingly popular vigilante group, the Mapogo a Mathamaga.
Monhle Magolego, head of the vigilante group which habitually flogs suspected criminals, was a UDM candidate in Pietersburg.
“I am doubtful about that criticism if you look at the facts. This guy [Magolego] has not made himself responsible for any misconduct. It’s only him as a person we are with, not his organisation,” Meyer said.
Magolego last month congratulated members of his group who threw a 59-year-old man to crocodiles, and proceeded to torture, flog and incarcerate him.
Meyer stopped short of accepting that Magolego’s vigilante activities – which he saw as a direct result of a breakdown in confidence in the criminal justice system – could prove a problem for the party, but said: “We will look closely into the situation and see to what extent activities are unacceptable in accordance with our Constitution. Then we could take further steps.”
Holomisa and Meyer will be joined in Parliament by, among others, former Inkatha Freedom Party heavyweight Sipo Mzimela, the party’s chair, Masilo Mabeta, the NP’s one- time Gauteng leader Sam de Beer, and former NP Gauteng MEC Annelize van Wyk.