UDM leader Bantu Holomisa has expressed a desire to be deputy president of the country.

Addressing his supporters in Port Elizabeth where he was unveiling his party's election manifesto‚ Holomisa said he wanted to occupy the east wing (office of the deputy president) of the Union Buildings in the event that this year's election does not have an outright winner.

Holomisa said if the May 8 election resulted in the formation of a coalition government‚ he wanted to be its deputy president.

"If the 2019 national and provincial elections should deliver no outright winner‚ as predicted by political pundits‚ the question of a national coalition arises.

"They (ANC) call us first when they have a problem‚ they must know this time that if they want the UDM to be part of a coalition‚ these are the conditions. We are not people who will just accept ministerial positions‚ as they (ANC) are competing for the presidency. They must give us the east wing office‚ where DD Mabuza sits‚ we want to deputise and you will see if we will not arrest these corruption thieves‚" Holomisa said.

Holomisa said the UDM believed that a coalition government should be regulated to ensure it fulfilled the wishes of voters.

"The UDM also believes that one of the basic principles that should inform coalition government is that it represents the wishes of the voters. Hence it is important that coalition partners iron out their relationships directly after elections and publish their compacts so that voters clearly understand how that coalition will work and also to have a set of standards to measure the coalition government’s performance‚" he explained.

Seven quotes from Bantu Holomisa during UDM's manifesto launch:

Economy

"A UDM government will adopt pro-poor economic growth policies that seek to redistribute income‚ eradicate poverty‚ reduce inequality and ensure dignity and prosperity for all South Africans."

Land

"The UDM has long promoted the view that the matter can only be definitively resolved at the proposed economic indaba‚ where all stakeholders can congregate to discuss the macro economy‚ with land at the apex of the debate. This exercise would ensure that South Africans enter a structured debate and that they take ownership of any decisions made."

Rural revitalisation

"Adequate support will be given to rural municipalities that have a limited revenue‚ raising capacity and those that suffer from skills shortage. This would help deal with past imbalances and backlogs and create the much-needed employment opportunities in rural areas."

Basic education

"A UDM government will make additional funding available to ensure that every school has the required learning materials and resources‚ and ensure that it is delivered on time. This will not be merely limited to textbooks‚ but will include the provision of libraries‚ laboratories‚ computers and other relevant technologies that serve as teaching aids."

Skills training

"The UDM will reopen and open new vocational training centres and out of school programmes to absorb the low-levelled and unschooled. Government resources will be allocated to practical skills training which enhances peoples' abilities to enter the formal and informal sector. We will also incentivise companies that provide basic vocational and technical skills training."

Higher education

"The UDM supports fee-free tertiary education aimed at students from poor and working-class families."

Women

"Under a UDM government‚ women will be empowered so that they may expand their economic and social participation through community-based projects and other schemes that give them greater control over their own destinies."