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28 Aug, 2014
The end of Women’s Month 2014 | UDEMWO
Issued by Mrs Thandi Nontenja UDEMWO Secretary General At the end of Women’s Month 2014, we look to the future; the United Democratic Women’s Organisation (UDEMWO) is worried that the National Development Plan is overall gender blind, disregarding women’s gendered practical, and strategic needs and concerns. Considering that this is the development map for South Africa we are dissatisfied with what our future prospects are. In addition, UDEMWO is doubtful that the sideways-move, to bring the Department of Women under the President’s roof, has any meaning. Since the establishment of this portfolio we have seen nothing but a waste of time and money. This is just another attempt at window dressing. Regarding the minister, after listening to Susan Shabangu’s statements at the Marikana Commission we are unconvinced that she is the right person for the job. Such insensitivity shown by a woman is beyond belief and a slap in the face of a community – especially the women and children – that is suffering. On behalf of women across the country, we ask President Zuma to clarify what the tangible outcomes are of his move. It is of no use to pay lip service to women’s empowerment. Being over 50% of our people, women must take their rightful place in our society and economy, and be given the power they deserve.
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27 Aug, 2014
SA’s trigger happy police
Media statement by Mr Bongani Msomi, UDM Secretary General Understandably so police brutality is an emotive issue in a country with our history. However, we never in our wildest dreams thought that, post-1994, we would again see brutal police violence. The United Democratic Movement (UDM) is concerned about the number of incidents of late of egregious police brutality and indiscriminate use of force. The ill-considered “shoot first-ask questions later” rhetoric by senior politicians and police officers sketches a bleak picture of a “new policing policy”. This is evidenced by Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega’s attitude towards the Marikana Massacre and now Free State MEC for police, Butana Kompela, has defended violent police action in Henneman where four alleged criminals were killed. The passing of Andries Tatane in 2011 and the death in 2013 of a Mozambican taxi driver after being dragged behind a police van – to name but two – are still fresh in our memories. When the families of Elais Thage and Tsholofelo Mothobi buried their children at the weekend much animosity was directed our police services. The UDM does not dispute that the police has a tough job and we support zero-tolerance to crime, but to laugh off police brutality makes a mockery of our laws and is immoral. Experts have said that it is not small number of officers who act illegally, but that the problem is systemic and widespread, and that it is going to keep on happening. In some instances communities feel justified in retaliating. Despite what our police leaders seem to be proponents of South Africa cannot tolerate a trigger happy police force. In this regard we believe that intensifying police training, especially in the code of conduct, and revisiting the curriculum to enhance overall levels of competence and capacity would be part of the solution. Those officers who make themselves guilty of abusing their positions of trust, should not be defended; they should face the full might of the law. We are hopeful that our new Minister of Police, Nkosinathi Nhleko, will well acquit himself of his job. The UDM however suggests that he institute a judicial commission of inquiry into police brutality to get to the bottom of this scourge.
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26 Aug, 2014
Attack of the public protector and her office
The United Democratic Movement (UDM) congratulates the public protector for her sterling work in defence of the constitution – its institutions and the rule of law – against those who are devoted to promote corruption and who blatantly refuse to account to the people. The ruling party’s recent attacks on the office of the public protector and her person are nothing but a desperate attempt to dodge accountability. President Zuma must man-up, stop avoiding questions and uphold his oath of office. It is clear, from the ruling party and its travellers’ statements that they wish to use the parliamentary ad hoc committee on Nkandla as another escape route to sidestep the requirement that the president is accountable to ordinary citizens. In the same vein and it appears that a dictatorship is developing in our country where the entire people of South Africa will have to defend their hard won democracy and reject abuse in the name of the majority. The UDM advises Advocate Madonsela to consider court action to defend her office against the unwarranted and arrogant attempts to defend the president.
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26 Aug, 2014
Link between civil disobedience and poor service delivery
Government has blinkers on when it comes to the consequences of poor service delivery, particularly at local government level. Disingenuous representatives of government stand on their soapboxes shouting that they are doing their jobs. Judging by the volcano of protests against poor service delivery that erupts every now and again in all corners of the country, this is patently untrue. The United Democratic Movement (UDM) is of the view that government either willfully downplays incidents or meets service delivery protests with vicious action using its security organs to silence any dissenting voice. To add insult to injury the ANC brotherhood instantly closes ranks when it comes to criticism levelled at them – even if it is constructive criticism. Much of the civil disobedience we see is a symptom of poor service delivery and it also is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, one can hardly blame a frustrated citizenry – who have no water, electricity, etc. – when they demonstrate and protest. On the other hand, where does one draw the line? We after all do not live in a lawless society and those who break the law must be arrested, make their cases in court and accept the judgements if they are guilty. One can philosophise indefinitely, but there is a fine balance between action and reaction and once the precedence of unmitigated violence has been established it spirals out of control and becomes the norm. What however boggles the mind is: why does government (at all three tiers) refuse to see this and intervene timeously, or even better, do their jobs right in the first instance? It is statements such as “…we don’t know how long the committee will take…” (after Ekurhuleni Mayor Mondli Gungubele announced an audit into Daveyton residents’ housing complaints) that elicits chaos. The problems should have been proactively addressed and the mayor should have had his answers ready. Media Statement by Mr Bongani Msomi, UDM Secretary General
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26 Aug, 2014
UDM on Provision of water and sanitation to our people and elimination of the bucket system
Address by Mr LB Gaehler MP in the National Council of Provinces in the debate on Local Government: “Moving with utmost speed to provide water and sanitation to our people and eliminate the bucket system” Honourable Chairperson Honourable Members The United Democratic Movement (UDM) supports attempts by government to increase the speed at which the restoration of people’s dignity by amongst others providing quality, clean water to the people and quality sanitation and eradication of the remaining bucket toilets in our communities. Surely we can’t afford to always shift the target on this matter as it borders on constitutional rights. The 2012 Fourth Quarter Statistic South Africa Report, revised in October 2013 and released in May 2014, reveals amongst others, the following important information on this subject. • Out of 90.8% of South African households with access to piped water in 2012, only 79% of Eastern Cape households enjoyed such access. Although, we agree that this is an improvement compared with 56.3% of 2002, this gap affects more the most vulnerable and impoverish rural citizens and further expose them to other opportunistic deceases when the health systems is also in a state of collapse. There delayed intervention in this regards has multiple other social and economic consequences. • Nationally, 60.1% of households rated the quality of water-related services they received as ‘good’. However, this satisfaction rate is lower than the 76.4% recorded in 2005. Residents of Free State, Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape are reported to have consistently been least satisfied with the quality of water. Once again, the poor quality of water has adverse consequences for the social and economic wellbeing of the people and in particular rural citizens of the mentioned provinces. • The percentage of households with no toilets or bucket toilets decreased from 12, 3% in 2002 to 5, 3% in 2012. Households in the Eastern Cape accounts for 13, 4%, Mpumalanga (6, 4%) and Limpopo (6, 3%) were reported to be most likely to lack access to toilet facilities or to still use bucket toilets. The former, Minister of Human Settlement in her response to the Human Rights Commission report on Water and Sanitation in March 2014 said, “as government we have tirelessly worked in our quest to restore our people’s dignity, through, amongst other things, the Bucket Eradication Programme…..phase one of BEP will see the eradication of buckets in formalised townships of the Free State, Eastern Cape and Northern Cape. ….these provinces have the highest volume of bucket toilets….phase two will ensure the eradication of buckets in each of the South Africa’s nine provinces”. These commitments, Madam Chairperson, must at all times guide government commitment to the restoration of people’s dignity. At the centre of this programme is the immediate attention to be given to water and sanitation infrastructure in terms provision, upgrading and of regular maintenance. In some instances you have taps in communities where there is not a drop of water. The current sanitation infrastructure crisis confronting the ordinary citizens of Makana Local Municipality as well as the reported water infrastructure syndicate in KZN must receive an immediate attention and intervention as they are but just a tip of an iceberg on what maybe a greater challenge in an attempt to move with speed and provide water and sanitation to the people and in particular the rural poor. This infrastructure improvement and maintenance must be designed such that they also create local job opportunities and skills development. If deliberately, skills are developed and transferred to local people, then maintenance of water generators and other related matters can be transferred to ownership of local people. This approach will also ensure effective and direct democratic participation of citizens at local level.
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21 Aug, 2014
Question to the President: Nkandla saga
Question to the President: Nkandla saga by Mr Bantu Holomisa, MP and UDM President Honourable Speaker Mr President and Mr Deputy President, Ministers and Deputy Ministers Honourable Members Mr President, in the context of your report to the Speaker of the National Assembly, your posture, your claim of innocence and your commitment to correcting any wrongs that have been found and reported to by the various investigations into the Nkandla saga; Do you think you can, as head of state, make the work of the Ad hoc Committee easier by voluntarily presenting yourself to the committee and present your report in person? Thank you
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20 Aug, 2014
National Women’s Day debate in National Assembly
Address by Ms CN Majeke, MP, in the National Assembly Honourable Speaker, Mr President Mr Deputy President Ministers and Deputy Ministers Honourable Members The United Democratic Movement (UDM) joins the millions of citizens of this country and the world to pay tribute to the women of South Africa for the central role they continue to play in liberating this country. These heroines acted as a conscious and formidable force of the liberation struggle, some even sacrificing their lives for freedom. Accordingly, any process which undermines the emancipation of women is fundamentally hostile to the objectives of a non-racial and non-sexist South Africa. In this regard and as this parliament, together with the people of South Africa, it is important to answer the question whether we have made and continue to make progress with regard to the emancipation and empowerment of women. We must continuously measure the progress we make in this area so that we can determine what we should do next. There is no doubt that some progress has been made on women emancipation and empowerment particularly in the public sector. On this important day that celebrates our heroines, we make a call on the corporate world to meaningfully join the movement towards a non-sexist society. Certainly, it is not possible to realise our full economic potential with women on the margins of economic development agenda and process. Honarble Speaker, the empowerment of women does not only relate to high positions in the public and private sectors. It must amongst others, entail that, the ordinary women in the rural areas are freed from the daily arduous and back breaking task of walking long distance to fetch wood and carry river water. The ordinary rural women should be freed from abusive stereotypical cultural practices that undermine their humanity and freedom. Emancipation must mean that we make the necessary progress to arm women with education, skills and information so that they can participate meaningfully in the economic and social development opportunities that are available to them. Government should, amongst others, strengthen its tender processes so that through its interventions, visible change in the lives of ordinary South African women are seen. Both the public and private sectors should source their services and products from women-owned and managed businesses, taking the necessary measures to promote, mentor and empower such business women. The commitment by government to “buy local” must deliberately favour women. Government must engage both trade unions and employers to act together to bring to an end the continuing sexual abuse of women in the work place as well as those seeking employment. Women’s right must be protected if we are to decisively move towards a non-racial and non-sexist South Africa. As this parliament and the nation, we have a responsibility and duty, to unite against the barbaric acts of rape and abuse of women and children. We must ask ourselves, what has happened to Ubuntu when these inhuman things happen. We should not shirk our responsibility and ignore the abuse of women and children on the basis that it is the task of police to deal with these matters. We must decisively discharge our responsibilities within the confines of law. We also need to pay more attention to the challenge of gender and disability, because women with disabilities face a double jeopardy which applies to those young and old. This is important because we sometimes find that women with disabilities are open to more abuse than other women. The task of women empowerment and emancipation demands that South Africans work together. Indeed by doing all these things together, we will perfectly celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Women’s Charter and twenty years of freedom whilst moving towards a non-racial and non-sexist South Africa. Thank you
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20 Aug, 2014
UDM Letter to President Zuma about political parties’ participation in national events: Women’s Day 2014
By Mr Bantu Holomisa, MP I refer to the Department of Arts and Culture, the Department of Women, and the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government’s hosting of the National Women’s Day celebrations at ABSA Stadium on 9 August 2014 at the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality which was later changed to King Zwelithini Stadium. The United Democratic Movement (UDM), however with regret notes that the representatives of other political parties were treated as mere window dressing. The provisions of the policy in this regard, where representatives of other political parties participate in the programme, were undermined during this state function. A clear bias was shown with only the ruling party that was acknowledged and was allowed to address the gathering. We saw women in full ruling party’s women’s league regalia, it was like and ANC Women’s League rally. Since the adoption of the relevant policy, this was anomalous. This speaks to a matter that the UDM has raised time and again i.e. that there must be clear distinction between state and party. This situation makes us wonder why we should continue to honour and respect national events organised by government if the very regulatory framework governing such events are not respected by government. The UDM believes that unless this situation is corrected there will be no reason for it to be associated with abuse of public funds by the ruling party in the name of official state events. In conclusion, the UDM proposes that you conduct an urgent investigation into this matter, and pronounce on whether government policy has changed or there are other policies by the ministers. In the event the policy you pronounced remains in force, do indicate what actions are to be taken to rectify the situation before the next event. We await your kind response.
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