Party effectively ceased to exist when infighting led to the collapse of its structures and unity, co-founder says
08 September 2022 - 13:05
byUnathi Nkanjeni
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COPE co-founder and former Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa says the party had effectively ceased to exist a year after its formation in 2008. Picture: Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images
COPE co-founder and former Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa says the party’s demise was unavoidable and that it had effectively ceased to exist when infighting eroded its unity.
“It was inevitable COPE was going to die a natural death,” he said in an interview on eNCA. “When I say it died a long time ago [it] is that the minute you don’t have structures on the ground, you are not capable of winning and being in provinces.”
Strife within the party played out in public last week when a fight broke out at a media briefing and party members punched and threw chairs at each other. Disgruntled members had demanded that party leader Mosiuoa Lekota not be allowed to speak after his suspension.
“The minute COPE could not retain being the official opposition in the six provinces it was in in 2009, it was inevitable that it was going to die a natural death,” Shilowa said.
Most people had accepted long ago that COPE had died and the remaining party members are fighting over the caucus, he added.
Shilowa also told Newzroom Afrika that Lekota’s age and health issues shouldn’t be used to determine whether he is able to lead the party.
Speaking to the media after the brawl, Gauteng COPE acting general secretary Mxolisi Ntombela said: “We are here to say [these] factionalists who have been called here are not the real members of COPE.
“These are the mafias. [They] are the people destroying COPE. It is the [suspended] president [Lekota] who is going around and making parallel structures. We are saying to him he has no right to come here and address COPE.”
Ntombela said Lekota must adhere to COPE's code of conduct and not address members of the party.
Speaking on eNCA, COPE deputy president Willie Madisha apologised to supporters.
“One must apologise to the members of COPE and the people of SA because it was not supposed to be like that. We are talking about a party that has been formed to represent South Africans up to the level of parliament, and for leaders to be seen doing what they did is extremely sad and wrong.”
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
COPE’s death was ‘natural’ says Mbhazima Shilowa
Party effectively ceased to exist when infighting led to the collapse of its structures and unity, co-founder says
COPE co-founder and former Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa says the party’s demise was unavoidable and that it had effectively ceased to exist when infighting eroded its unity.
“It was inevitable COPE was going to die a natural death,” he said in an interview on eNCA. “When I say it died a long time ago [it] is that the minute you don’t have structures on the ground, you are not capable of winning and being in provinces.”
Strife within the party played out in public last week when a fight broke out at a media briefing and party members punched and threw chairs at each other. Disgruntled members had demanded that party leader Mosiuoa Lekota not be allowed to speak after his suspension.
“The minute COPE could not retain being the official opposition in the six provinces it was in in 2009, it was inevitable that it was going to die a natural death,” Shilowa said.
Most people had accepted long ago that COPE had died and the remaining party members are fighting over the caucus, he added.
Shilowa also told Newzroom Afrika that Lekota’s age and health issues shouldn’t be used to determine whether he is able to lead the party.
Speaking to the media after the brawl, Gauteng COPE acting general secretary Mxolisi Ntombela said: “We are here to say [these] factionalists who have been called here are not the real members of COPE.
“These are the mafias. [They] are the people destroying COPE. It is the [suspended] president [Lekota] who is going around and making parallel structures. We are saying to him he has no right to come here and address COPE.”
Ntombela said Lekota must adhere to COPE's code of conduct and not address members of the party.
Speaking on eNCA, COPE deputy president Willie Madisha apologised to supporters.
“One must apologise to the members of COPE and the people of SA because it was not supposed to be like that. We are talking about a party that has been formed to represent South Africans up to the level of parliament, and for leaders to be seen doing what they did is extremely sad and wrong.”
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