We will unite South Africans from all communities in a new political home, built on the foundation of the principles and ideals of our National Constitution. To this end we will address poverty and imbalances in our society, inspired by our unifying love of our Country and its people.
The Core Values, which the United Democratic Movement will uphold and promote and upon which its fundamental policy positions are based, are as follow : respect for life, dignity and human worth of every individual; integrity in public- and private life; the individual rights and freedoms enshrined in our Country’s Constitution;
President of the UDM
Major General (Retired) Bantubonke ‘Bantu’ Holomisa co-founded the United Democratic Movement (UDM) on 27 September 1997, and serves as its elected President, which in 2022 celebrated its 25th year of existence. He was again elected as a Member of Parliament in the 2024 National and Provincial Elections and was appointed as the Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans in the Government of National Unity in the 7th Administration in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet.
He was the Commander of the Transkei Defence Force and Head of the Transkei Government (former independent homeland from 1987 to 1994) up to the first National Elections in South Africa in 1994. He was one of the first two black persons accepted by the South African Army College to do a one-year senior staff course for officers in 1984.
Contribute For Us
The United Democratic Movement (UDM) has worked diligently to promote the interests of all South Africans over the years. Despite the challenges and stumbling blocks the party rose to the occasion and scored many political victories. Our successes are manifested in our public representation at various levels of government across the country, but also in the influence we have had irrespective of the ruling party’s parliamentary majority.
The UDM’s vision is to be “…the political home of all South Africans, united in the spirit of South Africanism by our common passion for our Country, mobilising the creative power inherent in our rich diversity, towards our transformation into a Winning Nation”.
Admin
20 Jul, 2026
Statement by Remington Mazibuko, Councillor in the Inkosi Mtubatuba Local Municipality and UDM KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Chairperson The United Democratic Movement (UDM) in Mtubatuba welcomes the restoration of access to water at a communal tap in Majamisa Village, within the Inkosi Mtubatuba Local Municipality, after residents had complained for a prolonged period without receiving assistance. When the community approached me, I joined residents in taking up the matter and remained involved until water access was restored. The immediate relief experienced by residents is understandable. However, access to one communal tap must not be presented as though the water crisis in Majamisa Village has been resolved. Residents should not have to carry containers, queue at a communal collection point or organise their daily lives around an uncertain water supply. A communal tap may provide temporary relief, but it is not a substitute for reliable running water and proper household infrastructure. The fact that residents are grateful simply to have water flowing from one tap shows how badly they have been failed. Access to water is a constitutional right, not a favour that communities must repeatedly plead for. The uMkhanyakude District Municipality is the water services authority responsible for water and sanitation services within the Inkosi Mtubatuba municipal area. The water crisis in uMkhanyakude predates the current municipal term. Following the local government elections in November 2021, the national Department of Water and Sanitation invoked section 63 of the Water Services Act in February 2022 and appointed a water board to support the management, operation and maintenance of the District Municipality’s water and sanitation infrastructure. The intervention has since included the refurbishment and upgrading of water schemes across the district. Government has indicated that 22 projects, valued at approximately R1.3 billion, are being implemented and that the programme is expected to continue until September 2027. Despite this substantial and prolonged intervention, residents of Majamisa Village still do not have reliable running water in their homes. This raises serious questions about what has been achieved, which projects have reached communities in Inkosi Mtubatuba and why residents remain dependent on temporary communal water points. Furthermore, the people of Majamisa Village must not become casualties of political rivalry or administrative buck passing between the African National Congress (ANC) led uMkhanyakude District Municipality and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) led Inkosi Mtubatuba Local Municipality. The District Municipality bears responsibility for water services, while the Local Municipality is the government closest to residents and has a duty to ensure that the needs of communities are not ignored. Political differences cannot be allowed to delay cooperation or leave residents trapped between two municipalities blaming one another. Water has no party colour. The people of Majamisa Village are entitled to functioning infrastructure and dependable services regardless of which political party governs the District Municipality, the Local Municipality or any particular ward. The restoration of the communal tap must therefore be treated as an emergency measure while a permanent solution is implemented. The UDM in Mtubatuba calls on the uMkhanyakude District Municipality to explain how long Majamisa Village has been without reliable running water, why residents do not have adequate household connections and whether the current communal water point is intended only as a temporary intervention. The District Municipality must also disclose whether Majamisa Village forms part of any current water infrastructure project and provide the community with the relevant budget, implementation plan and timeframe for establishing a reliable and sustainable supply. The Inkosi Mtubatuba Local Municipality must ensure that the plight of Majamisa Village remains before council and that residents receive regular and truthful information about progress.
Admin
17 Jul, 2026
Statement by President of the United Democratic Movement, Deputy Minister Bantu Holomisa, MP The United Democratic Movement and our President, Major General (Ret) Bantu Holomisa, extend our heartfelt condolences to the families, loved ones and colleagues of the two South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members who tragically lost their lives after falling into an abandoned mineshaft during an operation against illegal mining. We also convey our deepest sympathies to the Chief of the SANDF, the broader defence community and all those mourning this devastating loss. The deaths of these two soldiers are a painful reminder of the dangers faced by the men and women entrusted with serving and protecting the Republic. Their dedication and sacrifice in the service of South Africa will not be forgotten. This tragedy also draws renewed attention to the serious dangers associated with illegal mining and the continued existence of unsecured and abandoned mine shafts across the country. Illegal mining is not a victimless crime. It endangers surrounding communities, undermines the rule of law, damages the environment and enables organised criminal networks. It also exposes members of the SANDF, the South African Police Service and other security personnel to extremely hazardous conditions. The UDM strongly condemns illegal mining and the criminal syndicates that organise, finance and profit from it. These networks must be identified, investigated and dismantled through coordinated and sustained law enforcement action. The UDM calls for a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident and urges all relevant authorities to accelerate efforts to identify, secure and rehabilitate abandoned mineshafts to prevent further loss of life among security personnel and civilians alike. Greater cooperation is required between mining companies and the departments responsible for mineral resources, defence, policing, local government and environmental management. Mining companies must also be held accountable for properly securing and rehabilitating disused mining infrastructure. South Africa cannot allow abandoned mineshafts to remain accessible to criminal enterprises while posing a continuing danger to communities and those entrusted with enforcing the law. The UDM honours the memory of the two fallen soldiers and extends its support and deepest sympathies to their families, the SANDF and the entire defence community during this time of grief. May their courage, dedication and sacrifice continue to inspire all South Africans. May their souls rest in eternal peace.
Admin
17 Jul, 2026
Statement by Nqabayomzi Kwankwa, MP, UDM Deputy President and Leader in Parliament As South Africa observes Nelson Mandela International Day on 18 July 2026, we remember former President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela with the respect due to a departed elder and former Head of State. Nelson Mandela Day should, however, be more than an annual exercise in praise or symbolism. It should be a call to service, reflection and honest engagement with the condition of our country. President Mandela’s legacy remains the subject of two broad schools of thought. Many South Africans regard him as a central figure in the struggle against apartheid, a leader who helped guide the country through a dangerous political transition and who contributed to the establishment of a democratic constitutional order. Others believe that the political settlement reached during that period did not sufficiently transform the economic structure of the country, and that too many of the inequalities created under apartheid were allowed to continue. For many black South Africans who remain landless, unemployed, poor and excluded from economic opportunity, these concerns are neither abstract nor disrespectful. They arise from the realities of their daily lives. A mature democracy must be able to acknowledge both perspectives. We should neither dismiss President Mandela’s contribution nor pretend that the democratic transition resolved the structural injustices that continue to confront our people. United Democratic Movement (UDM) President Bantu Holomisa shared a deep relationship of trust with President Mandela. That relationship was built during a difficult period in our country’s history and was founded on frank engagement, mutual respect and a shared concern for South Africa’s future. Respect for President Mandela’s memory must therefore include the honesty that characterised relationships of that nature, rather than reducing his life and legacy to empty ceremony. Nelson Mandela Day should remind those who hold public office that leadership is not about personal enrichment, privilege or public performance. It is about service, integrity and responsibility to the people. South Africa continues to face deep poverty, unemployment, inequality, failing public services, crime and widespread disillusionment with political leadership. These conditions cannot be addressed through 67 minutes of activity once a year. They require sustained work, accountable government and the courage to confront the unfinished business of our democracy. The UDM calls upon South Africans to use this day to serve their communities, assist the vulnerable, care for the elderly, support young people and contribute to the restoration of dignity in the places where they live. As we remember President Mandela, may we do so respectfully, honestly and without mythmaking. May his soul continue to rest in peace, and may Nelson Mandela Day inspire a renewed commitment to building a just, equal and accountable South Africa.
Admin
05 Jul, 2026
Statement by Mr Dumisani Khumalo, UDM National Deputy Organiser and Chairperson of the United Democratic Movement in the UThukela Region The United Democratic Movement in the UThukela Region has received with sadness the news of the sudden passing of Dr Ntuthuko Mahlaba, an African National Congress (ANC) Provincial Task Team member in KwaZulu-Natal, a Member of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature, and former Mayor of the Newcastle Local Municipality. Dr Mahlaba reportedly died after a vehicle knocked him down while he was jogging in Newcastle on Saturday morning. Reports further indicate that the police are investigating a case of culpable homicide following his death. On behalf of the UDM in the UThukela Region, I extend sincere condolences to Dr Mahlaba’s wife, children, family, friends, colleagues, the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal, and the communities who knew and worked with him. Dr Mahlaba’s passing is a tragic loss. He was taken before his time, at an age when he still had much to offer his family, his community and public life in KwaZulu-Natal. No family should have to face such a sudden and painful loss, and our thoughts are with those closest to him as they come to terms with this tragedy. The UDM in the UThukela Region further notes that, in KwaZulu-Natal, any sudden death of a political figure lands in a province with a deeply painful and tragic history of political violence, intimidation and political killings. This is not to prejudge the circumstances of Dr Mahlaba’s death, which are for the police to investigate. It is to recognise the hurt, fear and painful memories that such news can awaken in communities that have lived through political bloodshed for many years. At a moment such as this, politics must give way to humanity. KwaZulu-Natal has known too much political violence and too many political killings. While no one should speculate about the circumstances of Dr Mahlaba’s death, the matter must be investigated thoroughly, transparently and without delay. His family and the public deserve clarity, and his passing must not be reduced to rumour, factional talk or political point-scoring. The UDM in the UThukela Region joins the people of Newcastle, Amajuba, UThukela and KwaZulu-Natal in mourning this sudden loss. May Dr Mahlaba’s family find strength during this difficult time, and may his soul rest in peace.
