The newly registered United Democratic Front Party’s (UDFP) has unveiled its election manifesto for the Western Cape at Rocklands, Mitchells Plain, on the Cape Flats. It took place at the same venue where the now disbanded UDF was launched on 20th of August 1983 as an anti-apartheid umbrella organisation.
Thirty-five years after the March 1991 decision to disband the UDF, the UDF Party will be contesting one of the most highly contested local government elections in South Africa’s democratic history.
“We were the youth back in the 80s of the UDF. We were the ones that were part of the formation of Congress of South African Students (COSAS), Congress of Youth Students, within this province. We were part of the formation of the Cape Youth Congress. We were part of the civic movement in the Western Cape. And that all basically flowed into the UDF. So we have seen now for the past 30 years that the vision that we had as youth back then, now we’re the eldest, is not coming to fruition. It’s in that context that we came together and said, let’s revive that vision that we had back then. And bring about some real change for our people,” says UDF Party Cape Town Mayoral Candidate, Andhor Marks.
Marks further explains the rationale behind their election manifesto.
“So, it seems to us as the United Democratic Front Party is that the city is a little bit divorced from our communities, so what you’re going to find in our manifesto is those issues and we will drive this manifesto through the IDP within the city. Obviously from the constitutional perspective, section 152 and 153, we’re looking at ensuring that the needs of our communities are addressed,” says Marks.
The UDF Party says it will be contesting in the upcoming local government elections with 25 candidates registered to appear on the voter’s roll.
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