Howard Barrell The knives are out in the United Democratic Movement in a battle for the soul of the party and for control of its Eastern Cape stronghold. Two warring party factions were preparing late this week to go head-to-head at a national management committee meeting in Pretoria on Saturday. The one group – referred to as the “populists”, or “Africanists”, and led by UDM secretary general Malizole Diko and Zolwane Sobuwa, a member of the Eastern Cape provincial legislature – is trying to dislodge Chief Gladstone Dumisani Qwadiso, UDM leader in the Eastern Cape and leader of the opposition in the provincial legislature.
The other group backs Qwadiso, and presents itself as “non-racist” and dedicated to the original vision of the UDM – to bring together blacks and whites. The two factions have been soliciting support ahead of Saturday’s showdown. UDM leader Bantu Holomisa has not declared himself in the battle, but the general view is that he is siding with the “populist” group.
“He has not taken any action against them. They have been disrupting the party and behaving badly. But he has done nothing,” a UDM official complained this week. The battle has diverted the party from preparations for the local government elections. All work has been put on hold, according to party sources. “If we carry on like this for another month, we’ll be finished,” another senior party member said.
Political parties also contesting wards in the Eastern Cape and Transkei say their preliminary research indicates voter support for the UDM has fallen over the past 15 months and that the party could suffer substantial losses in the local government elections. More than half (54%) of all UDM voters in last year’s general election came from the Eastern Cape. The UDM holds nine of the 63 seats in the Eastern Cape legislature. Both sides were this week marshalling their forces for a final decision on the dispute by the national management committee of the party in Pretoria on Saturday. Holomisa will be there. The meeting will be chaired by Masilo Mabeta, one of its national MPs. Party sources suggested the “populists” might hold a slight majority on the committee. But the key will be the way the provinces vote. Each is represented by a provincial chair and secretary. “The line-up looks like the Eastern Cape, Free State and Western Cape – and maybe Gauteng – backing Qwadiso and the party’s old vision of uniting black and white,” another senior party source said this week.