UNITED Democratic Movement (UDM) president Bantu Holomisa has availed himself to be the party’s Eastern Cape premier candidate.
He announced his availability on Saturday, 27 April at a prayer meeting in Gqeberha.
He said in the months running up to the 29 May elections, he was approached countless times by traditional leaders, religious groupings and civil society organisations and individuals that they needed him in the province.
“They were saying, ‘General, if you would run for Eastern Cape premier, I will vote for you. The Eastern Cape desperately needs you'! There was also a UDM Provincial Congress resolution, where it was decided that the Eastern Cape structures of the UDM wanted me to run for premier in the elections,” said Holomisa.
He said it was a fact that he has the experience of running a government with discipline and order where they created jobs and poverty was at its lowest ebb. He said the courts functioned, the environment was neat and clean, pensions were paid, and they did not live in fear of criminals.
Holomisa said: “In principle, I have therefore agreed to avail myself to be the UDM’s candidate for the Eastern Cape premier.” However, he said being the national leader of a party, he will campaign in all provinces but focus more of his time and efforts in the Eastern Cape.
“If the UDM does well on 29 May, we will arrange that the Independent Electoral Commission changes the UDM’s candidates’ list in the allowed window period after elections.
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"If this change succeeds, the UDM’s deputy president, Nqabayomzi Kwankwa, will have to step up to the plate and be the de facto president of the party while assisting in governing the Easten Cape.”
Holomisa said one of the big-ticket items for him as a premier candidate will be to promote the need to have a Government of National Unity (GNU) model as an executive in the province.
“During my time as head of government in Transkei we unbanned the various struggle organisations, such as the ANC, Azapo, PAC etc in 1989 and I've worked well with all sorts,” he said.
Holomisa said cadre deployment will be a thing of the past. “The Eastern Cape was once the fountain of education, and those human resources are still available to us to realise the dream of making this province great again.”
