COPE has not been deregistered as a party, says IEC

The Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) has dismissed claims that COPE has been deregistered.

According to news reports, COPE had ceased to be registered as a party eligible to contest the 2024 national and provincial elections. But the IEC said the reports were false and COPE remained a registered party.

Instead, it has been shown in letters by former deputy leader Willie Madisha’s lawyers that COPE had been deregistered as a company with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) under the Companies Act.

The letter was reportedly sent in a bid to clarify the party's standing with the electoral body. The party was registered with the CIPC in November 2008 shortly before its formation that year in December.

COPE has had an ongoing leadership tug of war after party leader Mosiuoa Lekota’s resolution to oust Madisha and national secretary of elections Mzwandile Hleko.

They were recently expelled from the party for “ill-discipline, misconduct and attempting to carry out a coup to steal” the party from Lekota. Spokesperson Dennis Bloem received a notice of intent to expel him but reportedly asked for time to make representations to defend his membership.

Madisha, Hleko and Bloem are adamant they have the backing of several provincial party structures and the move to remove them from office and the organisation was unlawful.

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