How long will people tolerate this corrupt and arrogant government?

South African is becoming the laughing stock of the world because of the infighting in the ANC, United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa said on Friday.

"You should be advising your subjects that the time has arrived to invest in other parties, not just one party," Holomisa told Eastern Cape traditional leaders in an address at the Mthatha City Hall.

"We have seen that one-party dominance breeds a culture of non-inclusiveness, arrogance and corruption.

"We are left with seven or so months before the next election, and I can't imagine that anybody here would advise their people to vote ANC, when today that party is riddled with infighting, and that infighting centres around the arms deal, not even policy or service delivery.

"We are becoming the laughing stock of the world."

Holomisa said a ruling party which publicly promoted a culture of violating the values of respect and decency could not be allowed.

"The rampant disrespect for the elders is disgusting.

"And the manner in which they have used tribalism in their internal battles is reckless," he said.

The people could not be expected to vote for a party which was willing to plunge the country into chaos "just for an individual who doesn't want to go and face his day in court".

"The whole ANC leadership campaigns to portray [ANC president Jacob Zuma] as a victim, even though repeated judgements in various courts and the Constitutional Court, indicate that he has huge questions to answer.

"For instance, he needs to explain what the Mauritian documents mean."

Holomisa said attempts to portray Zuma as a victim were backfiring "in a big way", with threats by, among others, former defence minister Mosiuoa Lekota to start a new party.

"Many others are joining the UDM in droves," he said.

"Indeed it is one of the things which is currently breaking the ANC in half.

"The solution for them, if I were to advise them in the spirit of non-interference, would be for Mr Zuma to take leave and deal with his court case and stop dodging his day in court and wasting our taxpayer money to do so.

"This ANC campaign of threatening the courts and [National Prosecuting Authority] and calling judges that don't give verdicts that suit the palace all sorts of names, is not only dividing the ANC but it is dividing the country.

"We have already seen throughout the country where people have physically assaulted one another because of affiliation to either the [former president Thabo] Mbeki or Zuma camp.

"South Africa deserves better than that. It is time for change. It is time to put the people first," Holomisa said.

He had also spoken to traditional leaders in Limpopo and Mpumalanga and had found them concerned about the lack of service delivery.

"They feel that the local government system of councillors seems to be only a strategy to accommodate comrades that couldn't make it into Parliament or the legislatures."

These councillors had caused "havoc" in the rural areas, discriminating against people who did not support them or their party through service delivery.

He accused the ANC of arrogance, intolerance, and lack of inclusiveness, saying: "... Whatever the ANC government decides, they implement and they don't care about other people.

"They act like they are a God unto themselves. That arrogance has also bred corruption.

"The question arises: How long will people tolerate this corrupt and arrogant government?" he asked. - Sapa