View source for United Christian Democratic Party

{{Short description|Political party in South Africa}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{more citations needed|date=December 2017}}
{{Infobox political party
| name             = United Christian Democratic Party
| native_name      = 
| logo             = UCDP_LOGO_clean.png
| logo_size        = 150px
| colorcode        = {{party color|United Christian Democratic Party}}
| leader           = Modiri Desmond Sehume
| chairperson      = 
| president        = Modiri Desmond Sehume
| secretary_general = 
| spokesperson     = 
| abbreviation     = UCDP
| founder          = [[Lucas Mangope]]
| slogan           = ''Stand Up and Speak Out''
| founded          = 1997
| merger           = 
| split            = 
| predecessor      = [[Bophuthatswana Democratic Party]]
| headquarters     = [[Mafikeng]], [[North West (South African province)|North West Province]]
| youth_wing       = UCDP Youth League
| ideology         = [[Christian democracy]]<br/>[[Economic liberalism]]
| position         = [[Centre-right]]
| religion         = 
| national         = [[Multi-Party Charter]] (MPC)
| international    = 
| colours          = orange, brown and green
| seats1_title     = [[National Assembly (South Africa)|National Assembly]] seats
| seats1           = {{Composition bar|0|400|hex={{party color|United Christian Democratic Party}}}}
| seats2_title     = [[National Council of Provinces|NCOP]] seats
| seats2           = {{Composition bar|0|90|hex={{party color|United Christian Democratic Party}}}}
| website          = {{URL|https://ucdponline.org.za/}}
| country          = South Africa
| footnotes        = 
}}

The '''United Christian Democratic Party''' ('''UCDP''') is a minor [[political party]] in [[South Africa]]. It was founded by [[Lucas Mangope]], leader of the [[Bophuthatswana]] [[bantustan]] in 1997, as a successor to the Tswana National Party,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/775dc30048a99b569719df2a7b74fdb3/UCDP%27s-Ditshetelo-dies-at-72-20111012 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2011-12-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111181608/http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/775dc30048a99b569719df2a7b74fdb3/UCDP%27s-Ditshetelo-dies-at-72-20111012 |archive-date=2012-01-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and led by him for the first fifteen years of its existence. Mavis Matladi was elected as its leader on 29 January 2011<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sabcnews.co.za/portal/site/SABCNews/menuitem.cfe7d3eef5cd31a5a707a707674daeb9/?vgnextoid=a449c42eee5dd210VgnVCM10000077d4ea9bRCRD&vgnextfmt=format9%20&orderListkeyId=4ae79af5d9dfe110VgnVCM10000077d4ea9bRCRD&articleId=a449c42eee5dd210VgnVCM10000077d4ea9bRCRD |title=SABCNews - UCDP elects former secretary-general as leader |access-date=2013-12-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723010745/http://www.sabcnews.co.za/portal/site/SABCNews/menuitem.cfe7d3eef5cd31a5a707a707674daeb9/?vgnextoid=a449c42eee5dd210VgnVCM10000077d4ea9bRCRD&vgnextfmt=format9%20&orderListkeyId=4ae79af5d9dfe110VgnVCM10000077d4ea9bRCRD&articleId=a449c42eee5dd210VgnVCM10000077d4ea9bRCRD |archive-date=2011-07-23 |url-status=dead }}</ref> after the expulsion of Mangope.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a1/f80b6f91040dd210VgnVCM10000077d4ea9bRCRD/Mangope%27s-bid-to-stop-UCDP-Federal-Congress-fails-20110129 |title=Mangope's bid to stop UCDP Federal Congress fails |access-date=2011-12-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111183126/http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a1/f80b6f91040dd210VgnVCM10000077d4ea9bRCRD/Mangope%27s-bid-to-stop-UCDP-Federal-Congress-fails-20110129 |archive-date=2012-01-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Matladi died in December 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/ucdp-president-dies-1.1191521|title=UCDP president dies - IOL News}}</ref> [[Isaac Sipho Mfundisi]] was elected president on Saturday, 7 January 2012.

Mfundisi was succeeded by the current President Modiri Desmond Sehume<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our Members – UCDP |url=http://index.html/ |access-date=2021-06-08 |language=en-US}}</ref> who was elected in the Federal Congress in 2019.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

Most of the party's support comes from the [[North West (South African province)|North West]] province (where the old [[Bophuthatswana]] was located), and it has very little presence elsewhere in the country. The UCDP was the official opposition to the [[African National Congress]] in the North West province in 1999 and 2004, but slipped to fourth in the provincial legislature in 2009, and lost all of its seats in the provincial legislature in 2014.

In the [[South African general election, 2009|2009 elections]], the party won 66,086 votes (0.37% of the national total), and two seats in [[National Assembly of South Africa|Parliament]], representing a loss of approximately 50% of its support, and one seat, from the [[South African general election, 2004|preceding elections]].

In the provincial elections, their support dropped from 8.49% and three seats in the [[South African general election, 2004#North West|2004 North West provincial election]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.anc.org.za/elections/2004/results/prov-nw.html|title=Election Results North West|access-date=2008-12-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070319010908/http://www.anc.org.za/elections/2004/results/prov-nw.html|archive-date=2007-03-19|url-status=dead}}</ref> to 5.27% and two seats in 2009. In 2009, in six of the other provinces, they gained less than 0.1% support.

In the  [[South African general election, 2014|2014 elections]], the party slumped further, losing all of its provincial and national seats.

After the 2021 municipal elections, the UCDP retains a small presence at local level with elected representatives in five municipalities, all in the North West.

The party's mission statement stresses the need for Christian values, non-racial democracy, and government inducements for personal self-reliance, while the 2004 manifesto attacked the [[African National Congress|ANC]] for, among other things, its alleged [[softness on crime]], [[nepotism]], and neglect of South African infrastructure.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ucdp.org.za/pdfs/ucdp.pdf |title=United Christian Democratic Party |access-date=2008-12-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071007030513/http://www.ucdp.org.za/pdfs/ucdp.pdf |archive-date=October 7, 2007 }}</ref>

A 2003 survey conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council found that 85% of UCDP voters were female.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hsrc.ac.za/index.php?module=pagesetter&tid=13&nav=navigate&navigationtype=date&dateyear=2003&filter=date^like^2003|title=DIRECTORIES Media|access-date=2008-12-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120213102909/http://www.hsrc.ac.za/index.php?module=pagesetter&tid=13&nav=navigate&navigationtype=date&dateyear=2003&filter=date%5Elike%5E2003|archive-date=2012-02-13|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Election results ==

=== National elections ===
{{election table}}
|-
! Election
! Total votes
! Share of vote
! Seats 
! +/–
! Government
|-
! [[South African general election, 1999|1999]]
| 125,280
| 0.80
| {{Composition bar|3|400|hex={{party color|United Christian Democratic Party}}}}
| –
| {{no2|in opposition}}
|-
! [[South African general election, 2004|2004]]
| 117,792
| 0.75
| {{Composition bar|3|400|hex={{party color|United Christian Democratic Party}}}}
| {{steady}} ±0
| {{no2|in opposition}}
|-
! [[South African general election, 2009|2009]]
| 66,086
| 0.37
| {{Composition bar|2|400|hex={{party color|United Christian Democratic Party}}}}
| {{decrease}} 1
| {{no2|in opposition}}
|-
! [[South African general election, 2014|2014]]
| 21,744
| 0.12
| {{Composition bar|0|400}}
| {{decrease}} 2
| {{no|extraparliamentary}}
|}

===Provincial elections===
{{election table}}
! rowspan=2 | Election<ref name="dash">{{Cite web |url=https://www.elections.org.za/NPEDashboard/app/dashboard.html |title=Results Dashboard| website=www.elections.org.za |access-date=2019-05-11}}</ref>
! colspan=2 | [[Eastern Cape]]
! colspan=2 | [[Free State (South African province)|Free State]]
! colspan=2 | [[Gauteng]]
! colspan=2 | [[KwaZulu-Natal|Kwazulu-Natal]]
! colspan=2 | [[Limpopo]]
! colspan=2 | [[Mpumalanga]]
! colspan=2 | [[North West (South African province)|North-West]]
! colspan=2 | [[Northern Cape]]
! colspan=2 | [[Western Cape]]
|- 
! % !! Seats
! % !! Seats
! % !! Seats
! % !! Seats
! % !! Seats
! % !! Seats
! % !! Seats
! % !! Seats
! % !! Seats
|-
! [[South African general election, 1999|1999]]
| - || -
| 0.78% || 0/30
| 0.24% || 0/73
| - || -
| 0.23% || 0/49
| - || -
| 9.57% || 3/33
| - || -
| - || -
|-
! [[South African general election, 2004|2004]]
| 0.12% || 0/63
| 0.77% || 0/30
| 0.26% || 0/73
| 0.14% || 0/80
| 0.22% || 0/49
| 0.17% || 0/30
| 8.49% || 3/33
| 0.33% || 0/30
| 0.23% || 0/42
|-
! [[South African general election, 2009|2009]]
| 0.08% || 0/63
| 0.33% || 0/30
| 0.24% || 0/73
| 0.05% || 0/80
| 0.09% || 0/49
| 0.07% || 0/30
| 5.27% || 2/33
| 1.21% || 0/30
| 0.08% || 0/42
|-
! [[South African general election, 2014|2014]]
| 0.05% || 0/63
| 0.11% || 0/30
| 0.08% || 0/73
| 0.06% || 0/80
| 0.06% || 0/49
| 0.06% || 0/30
| 1.18% || 0/33
| 0.37% || 0/30
| 0.05% || 0/42
|-
! [[South African general election, 2019|2019]]
| - || -
| - || -
| - || -
| - || -
| - || -
| - || -
| 0.48% || 0/33
| - || -
| - || -
|}

===Municipal elections===
{{election table}}
|-
! Election
! Votes
! %
|-
! [[South African municipal election, 2000|2000]]
|  
| 1.0%
|-
! [[South African municipal election, 2006|2006]]
| 334,504
| 1.3%
|-
! [[South African municipal election, 2011|2011]]
| 168,351
| 0.6%
|-
! [[2016 South African municipal elections|2016]]<ref name="iec_summary">{{cite web | url=http://www.elections.org.za/content/LGEPublicReports/402/Detailed%20Results/National.pdf | title=Results Summary - All Ballots | publisher=elections.org.za | access-date=11 August 2016}}</ref>
| 28,241
| 0.07%
|-
! [[2021 South African municipal elections|2021]]<ref name="iec_summary_2021">{{cite web | url=https://results.elections.org.za/home/LGEPublicReports/1091/Detailed%20Results/National.pdf | title=Results Summary - All Ballots | publisher=elections.org.za | access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>
| 26,331
| 0.09%
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Portal|South Africa|Politics}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20040404033121/http://www.ucdp.org.za/ United Christian Democratic Party] official site

{{South Africa political parties}}
{{Politics of South Africa navbox}}
{{Political history of South Africa}}
{{South Africa topics}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1997 establishments in South Africa]]
[[Category:2004 establishments in South Africa]]
[[Category:Christian democratic parties in South Africa]]
[[Category:Conservative parties in South Africa]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 1997]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 2004]]
[[Category:Protestant political parties]]