The United Democratic Movement has expelled six of its senior members, including deputy leader Malizole Diko, with immediate effect.
UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said on Wednesday the party’s constitution sets high standards for its members and public representatives.
”Every person who accepts membership of the UDM enters into a contract with the party to abide by those standards. It is understood that nobody joins or accepts office in the party if they do not fully agree with this contract.
”In the past few weeks, a number of UDM members have acted in clear contravention of the letter and spirit of the UDM constitution. These actions include repeatedly bringing the party into disrepute with unwarranted and deceitful comments in various media.
”These members and those who purport to speak for them have repeatedly told outrageous lies, and launched at every opportunity personal attacks on the leader of the party,” Holomisa said.
Notwithstanding extensive provisions in the UDM constitution for members to raise concerns and disputes, or resolve disputes, these members have consistently avoided the provisions.
”The only conclusion that the UDM can draw from these members’ consistent dishonesty and disloyalty is that they are pursuing a campaign to destabilise our party.”
The UDM national executive council therefore resolved on Wednesday to expel the six with immediate effect, Holomisa said.
They are Diko, his fellow MP Nomakhaya Mdaka, Western Cape MPL and provincial chairperson Zolile Siswana, Limpopo MPL and provincial secretary Ike Kekana, Eastern Cape MPL and provincial secretary Mabandla Gogo, and Gauteng MPL and National Women’s League secretary general Kofie Ncedane.
On Tuesday, Cape High Court Judge Basheer Waglay reversed the suspensions of the six, saying the party had not followed its own constitution.
They were suspended by the party’s national office management committee (NOMC) on August 5 amid suspicions that they intended to defect to the African National Congress when the floor-crossing window opens on Thursday.
They had initially been offered a choice between accepting permanent redeployment or being expelled; then, in a compromise put forward by Holomisa, they were offered the option of stepping down from their seats on the understanding that they would be reinstated after the window.
They rejected all of the proposals.
Waglay ruled on Tuesday that though the NOMC did in terms of the UDM constitution have a ”sole and unfettered” discretion to suspend the six, it could do so only on receipt of a written complaint from the party’s secretary general. No such complaint was received, he said.
Waglay, however, rejected a bid by the six for an order prohibiting the UDM from expelling them or taking any disciplinary action against them for the next 30 days ”without strict adherence to the constitution”.
He said he saw no reason to prevent disciplinary action, but noted that if the party failed to act in terms of its own constitution and the principles of administrative justice, it would have to accept the consequences. — Sapa