Representatives of the United Democratic Movement will now personally have to pay R250 000 if they cross the floor to other parties, party president Bantu Holomisa announced on Sunday.
This was an attempt to discourage what he called ”political promiscuity”.
”The party invests in its leaders by promoting them to represent its people in Parliament, so should the leaders wish to betray the same people who voted for them, they must pay the UDM what is due to it,” he said at the UDM provincial council meeting in Umtata.
All party MPs sworn in after the elections, including Holomisa, had signed the agreement. The party’s councillors in local government were expected to sign this week.
The UDM was one of the parties that suffered when the floor crossing window was last opened.
Holomisa debriefed members on the UDM’s progress, and developments in the party during and after the elections.
He explained why the party had supported the African National Congress in KwaZulu-Natal, and commented on the inclusion of UDM’s Limpopo leader, Ntopile Kganyago in the ANC government.
”When the party decided on these issues, it had to tower beyond petty issues that dissatisfied it during the elections,” said Holomisa.
He also commented on alleged voting irregularities and the loss of the only UDM-held municipality (KSD) to the ANC.
He suggested that there might have been foul play by the ANC to win the area, but said national elections and local elections were different and UDM would retain the KSD in the upcoming local elections.
”In the 1999 general elections the ANC won the KSD but UDM won the local elections in 2000, and there is nothing to stop that happening again in the next local elections,” said Holomisa. – Sapa