Privacy Policy

1.1 The UDM respects your privacy. This Policy explains how we collect, use, share and protect personal information through the Website, in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013 (POPIA).

1.2 The UDM is the “responsible party”. Our Information Officer is [name], reachable at [email] and [address]. Our Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) manual is available on the Website at [link].

1.3 By giving us your information you confirm that you have read this Policy. Where POPIA requires your consent, we will ask for it, and you may withdraw it at any time.

Depending on how you use the Website, we may collect:

• Membership applications: name, surname, ID or passport number, date of birth, gender, contact details, address, ward or branch, structure (UDM, UDMYV, UDMWO or UDESMO), and, for students, institution details.
• Volunteer applications: name, contact details, location, skills, availability and interests.
• Candidate applications: the above, plus CV, qualifications, work and public-office history, references and any information the application form asks for.
• Donations: name, contact details, amount, payment reference, and, where the law requires, ID or registration number and address. Card details are handled by our payment provider, and we do not store full card numbers.
• Store orders: name, delivery address, contact details, order and payment details.
• Corruption reports and feedback: the content of your message, any documents you attach, and your contact details if you choose to give them. You may be able to report without identifying yourself.
• Newsletter and contact forms: name, email address, phone number, province and your message.
• UDM AI Assistant: the questions you ask and the responses given.
• Technical data: IP address, device and browser type, pages visited, language choice, dates and times of use, and cookie information.

We use personal information to: process and assess applications; administer membership and communicate with members; organise volunteers and events; process donations and meet our legal duties under the Political Funding Act; fulfil and deliver store orders; assess, investigate and refer corruption reports; respond to queries and feedback; send newsletters and campaign communications; run, secure and improve the Website and the AI Assistant; and comply with the law.

4.1 Membership, volunteer and candidate information can reveal your political persuasion, which POPIA treats as special personal information. We process it only as POPIA allows, including as a political party for the purposes of membership, recruitment, canvassing and campaigning, or with your consent.

4.2 We do not ask for health, religious, biometric, trade union or criminal-record information unless it is necessary and lawful, for example a background check on a candidate with their consent. Please do not send us such information unless asked.

4.3 Some of our structures admit members under 18. We process a child’s personal information only with the consent of a parent or guardian, or as POPIA otherwise permits. Parents and guardians may review, correct or delete a child’s information at any time by contacting us.

We do not sell your personal information. We may share it with:

• UDM branches, provincial and national structures and office-bearers, who need it to administer membership and activities;
• service providers acting for us, such as web hosting, email and SMS, payment processors, couriers, analytics and AI service providers, who must protect it and use it only on our instructions;
• the IEC and other authorities, where the law requires, including donor disclosures under the Political Funding Act;
• law enforcement, investigating bodies, regulators or courts, when the law requires or to report or investigate crime, including corruption reports; and
• a successor or adviser (for example auditors and lawyers), under confidentiality.

We will not publish your personal information without your consent or a legal basis.

We will send you newsletters, campaign updates and other electronic communications only if you have opted in, are an existing member who may lawfully be contacted, or the law otherwise allows. Every message will include a way to opt out, and you can also unsubscribe by writing to us. Opting out of marketing does not stop service messages, such as order confirmations.

Some of our service providers (for example cloud, email or AI providers) may store or process information outside South Africa. We will transfer information only where the recipient is bound by law, a binding agreement or binding corporate rules giving a level of protection substantially similar to POPIA, or where POPIA otherwise permits.

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against loss, damage, unauthorised access and unlawful processing, including access controls, encryption in transit and restricted staff access. No online system is completely secure. If a security compromise occurs, we will notify the Information Regulator and affected people as POPIA requires.

We keep personal information only as long as needed for the purpose it was collected, or longer if the law requires, you consent, or we need it to resolve disputes. For example, donation records are kept as long as the Political Funding Act and tax and accounting laws require, and membership records are kept while you are a member and for a reasonable period afterwards. When no longer needed, we delete or de-identify it.

The Website uses cookies and similar technologies that [are essential for the Website to work, remember your language choice, and help us understand usage through analytics tools: list tools used]. You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings, but parts of the Website may then not work properly. Embedded third-party content (for example videos or social media) may set its own cookies.

Under POPIA you may:

• ask whether we hold information about you and request a copy;
• ask us to correct or delete information that is inaccurate, outdated, excessive or unlawfully held;
• object to processing, including for direct marketing, or withdraw your consent, without affecting past processing;
• request access to records under PAIA; and
• complain to us, and to the Information Regulator.

To exercise a right, contact our Information Officer. We may need to verify your identity first, and may charge a prescribed fee for PAIA requests.

If you are unhappy with how we handle your information, you may complain to the Information Regulator (South Africa), JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001; P.O. Box 31533, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2017; complaints: POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za; general enquiries: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za.

This Policy does not cover third-party websites or services we link to. Please read their privacy policies.

We may update this Policy. The current version is always on the Website with its “Last updated” date. For material changes affecting how we use your information, we will give notice where reasonably possible.