Bantubonke Harrington Holomisa (born 25 July 1955) is a South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

n Member of Parliament

Member of Parliament

A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...

 and President of the United Democratic Movement.

Holomisa was born in Mqanduli, Eastern Cape

Eastern Cape

The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are Port Elizabeth and East London. It was formed in 1994 out of the "independent" Xhosa homelands of Transkei and Ciskei, together with the eastern portion of the Cape Province...

. He joined the Transkei

Transkei

The Transkei , officially the Republic of Transkei , was a Bantustan—an area set aside for members of a specific ethnicity—and nominal parliamentary democracy in the southeastern region of South Africa...

 Defence Force in 1976 and had become a Brigadier

Brigadier

Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....

 by 1985. He overthrew Prime Minister

Prime minister

A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...

 Stella Sigcau

Stella Sigcau

Princess Stella Sigcau is best known as a Minister in the South African Government. Sigcau was also the first female Prime Minister of the Transkei before being deposed in a military coup in 1987....

 in 1987 and was the Transkei's head of government

Heads of government of Transkei

-List of the Heads of Government of Transkei:-See also:*Bantustan*Presidents of Transkei*President of South Africa*List of State Presidents of South Africa...

 from 1987 to 1994.

In 1994 Holomisa was elected to the African National Congress National Executive Committee

National Executive Committee (African National Congress)

The ANC National Executive Committee is the chief executive organ of the South African political party, the African National Congress. It is elected at every National Conference; the executive committee, in turn, elects a National Working Committee for day-to-day decision-making responsibilities.On...

, and was the Deputy Minister of Environment and Tourism of South Africa. After testifying at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission he was expelled from the ANC on 30 September 1996.

He co-founded the UDM in 1997 with Roelf Meyer

Roelf Meyer

Roelof Petrus Meyer, born in Port Elizabeth on 16 July 1947 as the son of a farmer, is a South African politician and businessman.After completing school in Ficksburg, he studied law at the University of the Free State and finished with B Comm and LLB degrees. At the university, he was president...

, and was elected to parliament in 1999.