President

Bantubonke Holomisa was born to Tembu Chief Bazindlovu Holomisa on 25 July 1955 in the Mqanduli district of Transkei. After attending Upper Ngqungqu Primary School in Mqanduli, he proceeded to Jongilizwe College for the Sons of Chiefs and Headmen in Tsolo, Transkei, where he matriculated in 1975.

In addition to the usual matriculation subjects, he obtained a Diploma in Leadership covering current events, conduct of public affairs, public administration, English, African law, typing and office routine.

Major General (Retired) Bantu Holomisa co-founded the United Democratic Movement in 1997 with Mr Roelf Meyer.

Mr Holomisa serves as the UDM’s President. He was again elected as a Member of Parliament in the 2024 National and Provincial Elections and was appointed Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans in the Government of National Unity in the 7th Administration in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet.

Deputy President

Mr NLS Kwankwa was born and bred in Middledrift (now officially known as iXesi) in the Eastern Cape and grew up in a politically inclined family. He was formerly a member of the African National Congress (ANC) and the ANC Youth League, and participated in South African Student Congress (SASCO) activities, although he prioritised his academic work. Mr Kwankwa attended the University of the Western Cape, where he obtained a Business Administration Degree.

He left the ANC in 2006 and joined the United Democratic Movement (UDM) in 2007. Mr Kwankwa started his career in the UDM as a member of the support staff until he was elected as a Member of Parliament in 2013. He became the party's Chief Whip in 2014, and was the youngest Member of Parliament during that term and the youngest Chief Whip in the history of democratic South Africa.

He completed a Postgraduate Degree in Economics from the University of South Africa, a management executive programme at the University of Pretoria, as well as financial management.

In 2015, he won the Outstanding International Leadership Award for his role in spreading the anti-xenophobia message, awarded by the Extraordinary People Awards. The award has since been named after him.

Mr Kwankwa founded the African Parliamentarians Association for Human Rights (AfriPAHR) in 2017, a non-partisan network of parliamentarians from across Africa that advances democracy, freedom of religion or belief, and human rights through diplomacy and strategic alliances. He currently serves as Chair of the AfriPAHR Steering Committee.

He was re-elected as a Member of Parliament in 2019 while serving as the UDM's Chief Whip in Parliament, and again in 2024. He currently serves as a full-time member of the Portfolio Committee on Electricity and Energy and the Standing Committee on Appropriations, and as an alternate on the Social Development Portfolio Committee.

Mr Kwankwa is the Deputy President of the UDM.