United Democratic Movement’s (UDM) leader Bantu Holomisa has been defeated by the African National Congress in his home Ward 22‚ Mqanduli in the Eastern Cape.
“That ward is Nkosi Phathekile Holomisa’s land‚ so they beat me at home. If a political party does not deliver‚ people look for service delivery‚” said Holomisa‚ conceding defeat.
The UDM leader accused the ANC of starving people in that area to give them an edge in campaigning.
“The people who voted in that ward are from the areas without water and electricity and ANC was supposed to deliver. [The ANC] have a tendency of starving people who do not vote for them. I did not even campaign in that area and that might be one of the reasons we lost‚ but we have no qualms about it‚” said Holomisa.
Asked about the party’s progress nationally‚ Holomisa said that he did not spend more than R4 million to campaign and could not be compared to the ANC that spent R1 billion.
He said the “DA spent more than R1 billion to compete with the ANC and that’s why they are doing better“.
“We must not push the buttons because not all results are counted and when they do we will see the difference. I can tell you that we will have councillors at the OR Tambo District Municipality and KD Matanzima.”
When asked why he never heeded late former president Nelson Mandela’s call in 2001 asking him to come back to the ruling party‚ he said‚ “I told Mandela that ‘Tata I can only help in issues of national importance’. Mbeki knows that they once approached me to help in 2004 in terms of cooperation. I don’t depend on the ANC.”
Elections in ward 22 over the years have seen power swing between the UDM and ANC.
At 4.53pm on Thursday the ANC was leading with 62.54%‚ UDM 38.57% and DA lagging behind with 2.9%.
In 2000 the UDM won the ward with 62.05% to the ANC’s 34.34%.
In 2006 the UDM had 32.2%‚ the ANC 64.25% and in 2011 the UDM had 51.64% while ANC followed with 47.2%.
Bantu Holomisa loses his hometown to ANC
United Democratic Movement’s (UDM) leader Bantu Holomisa has been defeated by the African National Congress in his home Ward 22‚ Mqanduli in the Eastern Cape.
“That ward is Nkosi Phathekile Holomisa’s land‚ so they beat me at home. If a political party does not deliver‚ people look for service delivery‚” said Holomisa‚ conceding defeat.
The UDM leader accused the ANC of starving people in that area to give them an edge in campaigning.
“The people who voted in that ward are from the areas without water and electricity and ANC was supposed to deliver. [The ANC] have a tendency of starving people who do not vote for them. I did not even campaign in that area and that might be one of the reasons we lost‚ but we have no qualms about it‚” said Holomisa.
Asked about the party’s progress nationally‚ Holomisa said that he did not spend more than R4 million to campaign and could not be compared to the ANC that spent R1 billion.
He said the “DA spent more than R1 billion to compete with the ANC and that’s why they are doing better“.
“We must not push the buttons because not all results are counted and when they do we will see the difference. I can tell you that we will have councillors at the OR Tambo District Municipality and KD Matanzima.”
When asked why he never heeded late former president Nelson Mandela’s call in 2001 asking him to come back to the ruling party‚ he said‚ “I told Mandela that ‘Tata I can only help in issues of national importance’. Mbeki knows that they once approached me to help in 2004 in terms of cooperation. I don’t depend on the ANC.”
Elections in ward 22 over the years have seen power swing between the UDM and ANC.
At 4.53pm on Thursday the ANC was leading with 62.54%‚ UDM 38.57% and DA lagging behind with 2.9%.
In 2000 the UDM won the ward with 62.05% to the ANC’s 34.34%.
In 2006 the UDM had 32.2%‚ the ANC 64.25% and in 2011 the UDM had 51.64% while ANC followed with 47.2%.
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