The United Democratic Movement (UDM) says it has instructed its legal team to take action against public representatives ”who owe the party” following their defection to other parties.
Party spokesperson Star Khonco said on Tuesday that the UDM has already ”won its case” against MP Martin Stephens, who crossed the floor to the Democratic Alliance.
But Stephens told the South African Press Association he was unaware of any such action against him.
Khonco said the UDM can no longer leave those ”former public representatives who crossed the floor to other political parties, and even formed their own political parties, to go scot-free while owing the party”.
”It will be recalled that our public representatives had signed contracts acknowledging that they would owe the party the money invested in getting them elected should they defect.
”We have tried to advise them, gave them options and ample time to apply their minds, but they have opted to be defiant against the party.”
Khonco said the UDM, ”through its legal team has won its case against Mr Martin Stephens”.
”It seems that Mr Stephens is trying to run away from the law, but if that is the case he got it all wrong, as he cannot run forever.”
Stephens was surprised at these statements on Tuesday, and said Khonco’s claims ”are totally news to me”.
He said he knew of no court case between the UDM and himself.
”I know absolutely zero. If they want to [take legal action] against me, they know where I am, where I live, all the time,” he said.
Khonco said the UDM’s ”process does not end with Mr Stephens”.
”We have instructed our legal team to immediately serve all others who owe the party.”
These include Mabandla Gogo, Nomakhaya Mdaka, Princess Mncedani, Zolile Siswana, Tyrone Liberty and Ike Kekana.
The list also includes former UDM councillors who defected earlier.
”In the case of the late Mr Malizole Diko [who died earlier this month] we are awaiting expert advice from our legal team so that we come up with a balanced and informed decision,” Khonco said. — Sapa