Prince Mlimandlela Ndamase, a prominent AmaMpondo royal, political strategist and former ANC activist, has left the governing party and joined the United Democratic Movement (UDM), giving Bantu Holomisa’s party a high-profile addition ahead of South Africa’s 2026 local government elections.
Ndamase’s move comes as political parties intensify their campaigns for the November 4 municipal elections, with the UDM looking to strengthen its presence in the Eastern Cape, particularly in the Mthatha, King Sabata Dalindyebo and wider OR Tambo areas.
The move is also significant because Ndamase is not a political newcomer. He has spent years operating at the intersection of politics, government communications, traditional leadership and the private sector.
From ANC activist to UDM recruit
The UDM announced Ndamase’s arrival on Tuesday, with party president and Deputy Minister Bantu Holomisa welcoming him as a volunteer and describing his experience as an asset to the organisation.
“The UDM and I warmly welcome Prince Ndamase’s decision to join the party,” Holomisa said.
“His experience and capabilities will strengthen our organisation as we prepare for the Local Government Elections on 4 November 2026 and beyond.”
Ndamase has a history rooted in the ANC, including involvement in the ANC Youth League in the Eastern Cape and leadership in the Eastern Cape Youth Commission.
His professional career has subsequently taken him into senior government communications positions. He served as a ministerial spokesperson and worked in the communications environment of the City of Johannesburg, including during the administration of several executive mayors.
He has also worked as a communications specialist and political analyst, with more than two decades of experience across the public and private sectors.
The Bohlale Institute describes him as a seasoned communicator and media specialist who has worked in government relations, public-private partnerships, media relations and policy analysis. He studied International Relations and Political Sciences at the University of Pretoria, as well as management programmes.
Holomisa says Ndamase does not have to erase his past
Holomisa was careful not to present Ndamase’s move as a rejection of his entire political history.
Instead, he said the UDM recognised the experience Ndamase had accumulated during his years in and around the ANC and government.
“The UDM respects Prince Ndamase’s political history. We do not ask him to erase it. Experience acquired elsewhere does not disappear when political circumstances change,” Holomisa said.
“What matters now is what he brings to the future and how that experience can best serve the UDM and the people of South Africa.”
That positioning could prove important as the UDM attempts to present itself as a serious alternative in areas where established political loyalties have traditionally been strong.
A royal with deep Eastern Cape roots
Ndamase’s political significance is also tied to his traditional leadership background.
He is a member of the AmaMpondo royal family and has been publicly associated with the Ndamase royal house in the Eastern Cape for years. In 2023, he was among senior traditional and political figures who attended an initiation homecoming involving members of the Ndamase and Ngqondwana families.
The Ndamase royal house is part of the broader history of the Mpondo kingdom. The Ndamase lineage traces its roots to Prince Ndamase, son of King Faku, who established authority west of the Mzimvubu River, contributing to the historical development of Western Mpondoland.
This traditional connection gives Ndamase a profile that extends beyond party politics, particularly in the rural Eastern Cape where traditional leadership remains influential in community life.
His family life with Nathi Ndamase
Away from politics, Ndamase is married to radio personality Nathi Sandiswe Buzani, better known professionally as Nathi Ndamase.
The couple have maintained a relatively visible public profile while keeping much of their family life private. They have two children, with their second child, a son named Owesiko, born in early 2025. Nathi celebrated her 40th birthday that year surrounded by family and friends, with Ndamase sharing a tribute to his wife on social media.
Nathi is also involved in community work. She founded Zenazi – Circle of Hope, an initiative aimed at supporting mothers in rural and impoverished communities with basic postnatal necessities.
The couple’s connection to the Eastern Cape and traditional leadership therefore extends beyond Ndamase’s political career and into their family and community work.
A career spanning government and communications
Ndamase has been a familiar figure behind the scenes of South African politics for years.
His government communications career has included work as a spokesperson for senior political office-bearers and government departments. He served as spokesperson to former water and sanitation minister Nomvula Mokonyane, including during the highly controversial Giyani water project period.
He later worked in Johannesburg’s mayoral communications structures. The City of Johannesburg identified him as director of mayoral communications during the administration of the late mayor Geoffrey Makhubo.
He has also served on the board of the Nelson Mandela Museum and established a sports marketing company focused on positioning South Africa as a destination for international sports tourism.
That combination of political experience, government knowledge, communications expertise and traditional leadership connections is what the UDM is now seeking to harness.
The bigger political picture
Ndamase joins the UDM at a critical point for the party.
The November 2026 local government elections will test whether smaller parties can convert dissatisfaction with established political organisations into votes at municipal level.
For the UDM, the Eastern Cape remains particularly important because it is the home province of Holomisa, who founded the party in 1997 after breaking away from the ANC.
Ndamase’s arrival gives Holomisa an experienced political operator with knowledge of government, communications and local governance – and, importantly, longstanding connections to the province.
The challenge will now be turning that experience and profile into electoral support.
For Ndamase, the move represents a major political chapter after years associated with the ANC.
For Holomisa, it is a recruitment coup as the UDM prepares to fight for relevance in a fiercely contested local government election.
