The United Democratic Movement (UDM) in the Eastern Cape is at an advanced stage preparing for its national elective congress next month.
The party yesterday convened a provincial executive committee (PEC) meeting to outline the roadmap for its regional conferences and the national congress.
On December 5 the UDM will be convening a regional congress in the Amathole district. This is after the party held and elected regional leaders in the OR Tambo region early this month.
UDM provincial secretary Wandile Tsipa yesterday told the Daily Dispatch that the PEC meeting was also in preparation of an upcoming national executive committee meeting, which will be held this weekend.
“UDM programmes are in full swing for the local government elections. We are ready as the elections are projected to be in May.
“These congresses are a way of strengthening our presence and membership in all corners of the province and country,” Tsipa said.
Tsipa is also a member of the party’s NEC in his capacity as the provincial secretary.
He called on all UDM members to be united and canvass for support leading up to the much-awaited local government elections.
“We cannot go to elections without knowing our position and canvassing our membership. We want to go to the local government elections next year as a unified UDM with a similar directive,” he said.
The conferences are in preparation for the party’s fifth national elective conference in which General Bantu Holomisa is expected to be re-elected as party president.
Holomisa has been president of the party since its inception in 1997 after breaking away from the ANC. He was elected as the UDM president in its first national congress in June 1998.
The national congress will be held in Bloemfontein from December 11 to 13. Earlier this month, the OR Tambo region endorsed Holomisa to serve yet another term as party leader.
The regional congress elected Nyandeni municipality councillor Mfundiso Mkrokrelwa as its new chairman and Mzwandele Cobhe as his deputy.
The party has in the past couple of years seen a significant growth in support in the Eastern Cape as its stronghold compared to other provinces.
In the Eastern Cape legislature they increased their number of seats from three to four.
In a surprising victory, in September the UDM overwhelmingly won Nelson Mandela Bay Metro’s ward 30, which was historically dominated by the ANC.
UDM leader in the Mbhashe area Mzimkulu Tetyana said that subsequent to the national congress, the party would launch a fully fledged campaign and programmes which would be added to its calendar of activities.
The party is also expected to announce its mayoral candidates and councillors for the different municipalities across the province after their elective national congress.