A total of 145 members from the United Democratic Movement (UDM) have defected to the African National Congress (ANC) in Umtata in the Eastern Cape.
The card-carrying UDM members were welcomed by the re-elected ANC provincial executive committee member Zoleka Capa.
The new members were from both Ward 25 (known as the Dumasi branch in UDM circles) and Ward 28 (known as the Middle East branch) in Ngangelizwe township, outside Umtata.
According to Sandla Macingwana, a former UDM councillor who defected to the ANC and former chairman of the UDM Dumasi branch, this was his first step of taking his followers to the ANC.
”Dumasi was the UDM’s strong hold in the Eastern Cape province and the ANC is now taking over and UDM members are still coming in numbers to join the ANC,” he said.
The ANC’s OR Tambo regional secretary Siyakholwa Mlamli said the reason for the defections was improper leadership, a lack of democracy and stubbornness of party leader Bantu Holomisa.
”They say UDM branches cannot take decisions, even the KSD mayor Dowa Mgudlwa is remote-controlled by Holomisa, which inhibits the people’s development because Mgudlwa has to wait for Holomisa’s approval for everything to do here,” said Mlamli.
He boasted that the ANC had been invited to Ward 30 in Payne Farm outside Umtata to formally welcome a large number of former UDM members.
”This is a mobilisation of the people so that they can be their own liberators. We do not promise them anything,” he said.
Also present at the rally was the new ANC MP Dickson Mkono, who recently defected from the UDM. He issued a press statement in which he lashed out at the UDM saying it was ”neither united nor democratic”.
”The president (Holomisa) muddles his nose in personality differences at branch, regional and provincial levels thereby divesting his office of its mediating capacity as the centre of appeal,” said Mkono.
As a result, ”the party is losing membership like a tree shedding its leaves, even chiefs have turned their backs on the party”.
Mkono also alleged that an effort was made to get certain key UDM MPs to pay a sum of not less than R2 000 each in order to persuade the ANC councillor in the KSD, Nonkonzo Caluza, to switch to the UDM during the local government floor crossing window period.
”When some of us (MPs) refused to pay on the basis of immorality and corruption, UDM devised other means to raise those funds and went ahead with the intended corrupt practice committed by people who portray themselves to be the champions of anti-corruption,” said Mkono.
In response Holomisa said Mkono’s claims were a concerted effort to destroy the UDM and its leadership. – Sapa