KUGOMPO CITY, Eastern Cape — The United Democratic Movement (UDM) is holding its 6th National Congress in KuGompo City to elect new national leadership and adopt its strategic manifesto for the 2026 local government elections. The pivotal gathering aims to solidify the party’s political strategy and expand its footprint across South Africa’s municipalities.
The congress, hosted at the Jan Smuts Stadium, brings together approximately 1,900 delegates from across the country, with a significant contingent of 1,400 delegates hailing from the Eastern Cape.
Eastern Cape UDM Secretary General Bulelani Bobotyane confirmed that final registration processes were underway as the event commenced. “We haven’t completed the registration yet. We still have one province which is Free State that arrived around 12:00 midnight,” Bobotyane explained, noting that the congress would officially open once this final delegation was processed.
The decision to host the sixth national congress in the Eastern Cape is both strategic and symbolic, following the party’s 2024 National General Council in Johannesburg. Bobotyane explained that the UDM is now rotating these major gatherings across different provinces to ensure balanced representation. “The Eastern Cape is the hub of the UDM and the majority of membership is in the Eastern Cape,” he stated, adding that economic convenience also influenced the choice of Buffalo City as the host.
Targeting 2026 Local Government Elections
The party is setting its sights heavily on the 2026 local government elections, aiming to secure more council seats predominantly in the Eastern Cape while spreading its influence into other provinces. A primary target for the UDM is the Buffalo City municipality. The party aims to either take full control or secure a 50% majority council, a goal that may involve coalition agreements.
“We cannot run away from the fact that South Africans have shown us that they are fed up with one-party dominance. So they want coalition government,” Bobotyane noted. He highlighted that the UDM is already part of the national Government of National Unity (GNU) and is actively pursuing municipal coalitions to ensure the party’s voice is heard in local governance.
The party’s confidence is bolstered by recent electoral momentum. Bobotyane pointed to a by-election in Duncan Village a few weeks prior, where the UDM’s support surged from 1% to 16%. “We’re getting support. We intend to take some municipalities and the Buffalo City is one of those,” he said.
Leadership Contestation
A key agenda item at the KuGompo City congress is the election of the party’s top six leaders, including the president, deputy president, and other national office bearers.
While all positions are technically open for contestation to allow branches to exercise their democratic will, the races for president and deputy president remain uncontested at this stage. However, Bobotyane confirmed that the lower positions are highly contested. “All other positions, starting from the national chairperson, have nominations and they have accepted those nominations up to the fundraiser of the UDM,” he said, adding that delegates are free to contest in their own free will following branch nominations.
As the congress proceeds, the UDM leadership expects to finalize its electoral strategy and unify its branches ahead of the critical 2026 municipal polls.