DURBAN – General Bantu Holomisa, the former commander of the now-defunct Transkei Defence Force (TDF) who led the coup that dethroned former Bantustan leader Stella Sigcau 34 years ago, says he doesn’t regret the move.
Holomisa, who now leads the United Democratic Movement (UDM) – a party he formed following his expulsion from the ANC in 1996 – says what saddens him is the fact that the coup opened doors for the ruling party but “hyenas” are now squandering public funds.
Holomisa’s expulsion (at the time he was serving as deputy minister for housing in the new democratic government) was a result of him locking horns with Sigcau after he revealed that the ANC received a sum of R2 million from the Transkei government while she (Sigcau) was premier.
Speaking to IOL on Thursday, Holomisa said since the coup of December 30, 1987, the ANC had left people disappointed and the once-promising former homeland has fallen into ruins.
“There have been (many) disappointments under the ANC government.
“Quality was replaced by mediocrity. Education and its infrastructure have collapsed. Lawlessness, unemployment and lack of discipline is the ruling party’s motto. They open the country to drugs and warlords,” said Holomisa.
He added: “Transkeians who used to own shops in the CBD (central business district) and in rural areas have been replaced by foreigners who don’t even pay taxes. GBV (gender-based violence) incidents are a daily occurrence. (The) environment is neglected, hence you see piles and piles of waste all over SA. Lastly, corruption is eating in(to) the body politic of the ANC like a cancerous tumour. Yes, we have regressed as a nation. What a pity,” Holomisa lamented.
According to Holomisa, the ANC has, over the years, squandered the opportunity to be a good ruling party over self-enrichment.
"I’ve never regretted having overthrown the Matanzima and Sigcau governments. It was an honour to serve but little did we know that we were assisting a government of hyenas who robbed the very people we wanted to live better lives,“ Holomisa added.
Political Bureau