Ex-UDM chief whip resigns

FORMER United Democratic Movement’s chief whip in the Mbashe local municipality, Samson Wulana, has resigned from the party.

Wulana claimed the party had lost interest in fighting for the people of the country and was just being used to “make money” for many of its members.

The Daily Dispatch recently reported on the resignation of another long-serving member and the party’s former provincial organiser in the Eastern Cape, James Dlamini.

Dlamini, who has since withdrawn his letter of resignation, said at the time the lack of will from national leadership to address factionalism in the UDM was among his reasons for resigning.

The Daily Dispatch is in possession of a copy of the letter of withdrawal, given to the paper by UDM secretary-general Bongani Msomi.

Although Dlamini could not be reached for comment at the time of writing yesterday, Msomi said he had personally met with the aggrieved Dlamini and they had managed to iron out the issues.

“We are happy that he is back because he is one of the stalwarts of the UDM,” said Msomi.

He said the party would investigate some of the allegations raised by Dlamini.

Meanwhile, in his resignation letter, seen by the Dispatch, Wulana accused party president Bantu Holomisa of being a stumbling block to the growth of the party.

Wulana alleged that as a result many members did not respect the constitution of the party.

“This party does not have ambitions to fight for the people. It has become a place to make money for many people,” he added.

Contacted for comment, Holomisa said he had not received a resignation letter from Wulana and referred questions to Msomi and provincial spokesman Mabandla Gogo.

Msomi confirmed receipt of the letter but said he had not yet read it as he was at home in Durban attending to a family bereavement.

He said Wulana had in the past left the UDM and defected to other parties on several occasions without resigning.

“So to say that he is resigning now is something else,” he said. — Sikho Ntshobane