Mr Speaker and honourable Members

We urge that any intended audit inquiry should have broad terms of reference. When we talk about people failing to discharge their fiduciary duties, such an approach must also include those executive members who served on the outgoing Board as well as senior management. The question is whether a proper inquiry can happen whilst the suspected culprits continue to work at the SABC?

The Multi-Party Forum (MPF) agrees fully with the IEC's clarion call that Section 24 (a) of the Electoral Act which allows registered voters to cast their ballots outside of their voting districts be amended. This very issue was discussed at length in a meeting between Political Party Leaders in Parliament held on 10 June 2009.

The UDM is deeply concerned about the state of the economy. The latest economic data confirms what South Africans have been experiencing for many months already; that the economy is in serious trouble.

The fact that South Africa is officially in a recession should motivate Government and the rest of society to join forces to stimulate and expand the economy.

Ladies and Gentlemen

The meaning of President Zuma's cabinet should not be expected to be significantly different from previous Cabinets under Presidents Mbeki and Mandela. This is a continuation of existing ANC programmes. They have said so - in so many words - that there won't be any changes in policy.

The question is thus: A continuation of what?
. Will it be a continuation of an economic policy that continues to lock the majority of South Africans outside the economic mainstream?
. A continuation of incompetence at all levels of government?
. The continuation of the awarding of tenders to the new elite!
. Will it be a continuation of lack of service delivery, as we have witnessed in the past decade?
. Or will it be a continuation of a Government accompanied by protests and burning barricades blocking highways?
. Will we continue to witness anarchy, such as when you see people at legal protests and strikes carrying dangerous weapons and assaulting non-strikers, employers and innocent bystanders?

Mr Speaker and honourable Members

We need to say thank you to the voters who brought all of us here.  We should also express our gratitude for the relatively peaceful manner in which the elections were conducted.

Ladies and Gentlemen

At first glance only one party gained in this election, the DA. Their performance however can best be measured by combining the percentages of the former NP and DP in 1999, which are the constituent parts of the DA. Such a comparison shows that the DA essentially gained precisely what its former components received. Nevertheless, it can be said then that they still performed to their full potential; meaning that they mobilised their voters better than other parties.

The UDM wishes all workers well on Workers Day.

Unfortunately we celebrate this day in the midst of an international financial crisis that may now be deepened by threat of a global flu epidemic.

In such times we cannot continue with an economic policy approach that amounts to folding our arms whilst massive job losses occur.

The UDM received tens of thousands of votes, and we would firstly like to thank our supporters and members for this endorsement. We would like to assure them that we will vigorously represent them in Parliament and elsewhere. Our commitment to the ideals that the UDM stands for remain undiminished.

We also have to admit that the results of these elections were nowhere near our own goals; we have fared badly against other political parties, despite the countless people who did make their cross behind the UDM.