Bona fide leader charting a way forward for COPE. CONGRESS of the People (COPE) leader Mosiuoa Lekota has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, mostly for being at loggerheads with the co-founder of the party, Mbhazima Shilowa.
Five years after COPE was founded, and now that the four-year battle for leadership has been won, it is left to Lekota to rebuild a party which has seen a significant drop in membership.
He spoke to Abongile Mgaqelwa recently about his plans for the general elections and what the future holds for COPE.
Q: You have just won a court battle against Mbhazima Shilowa and been declared the legitimate leader of COPE, what’s next for you?
A: Our task is to now report back to the provinces of the outcome of the court case and discuss a way forward. We have to prepare for the upcoming elections and we need to go there as a united force.
This fragmentation over the years damaged us badly so we need to mend that as we go towards the elections. I am confident that in 2014 we will be more than ready for the elections.
Q: When you founded the party you had muscle and it all fell apart, what happened?
A: Well we started out strong, everything was in place, the interim leadership was doing well and then some people within the party brought in Reverend Mvume Dandala, out of the blue. We had a very good chance of making a huge impact in the polls but the introduction of Reverend Dandala created confusion in the party. It brought us down. People did not know who the leader was.
Q: Were you against the introduction of Reverend Dandala?
A: I had no choice, there were people from within who plotted the move very carefully. My strategy was to play along and from within the ranks slowly re-educate people. I had to stay under the radar because I knew if I disputed the strategists within the party, they would kick me out. In May 2010 I worked to set up the structures of the party. Shilowa was in parliament with the reverend and I was told to work the party structures.
He wanted to use the reverend to move me out. So when the reverend left, after realising that politics was nothing like church, people said I should go to parliament.
Q: After the court victory, a decision was taken to have all members renew their membership. This has been viewed as a way of purging Shilowa loyalists. Will you purge those that followed Shilowa?
A: We have made it quite clear that anybody who wants to be a member of COPE is welcome to renew their membership.
All those who did not register with us before will unfortunately be removed from their positions. From those in the legislatures through to those in councils.
They have aligned themselves with a faction that was declared null and void by the courts therefore they have to start afresh. We will keep the door open for anyone who wants to come back. , however there are those we cannot consider, such as those who committed offences of a financial, criminal and policy nature.
Q: Why do you want members to renew their membership?
A: Some people made a conscious decision to follow the other side and did not register with us when we asked everyone to renew their membership. But we are not using the outcome of the court to be vindictive. We will go through normal disciplinary processes for those who erred, but renewal of membership covers everyone in the party. We have to account for each and every member of COPE.
Q: As fragmented as the party is, do you think you stand a chance in the general elections?
A: We have resolved to take the party to its first national congress. Branch annual general meetings will be held by November 25. By December 3 we will hold regional congress and on December 19 we hold provincial congresses. On January 12 we plan to hold our national congress.
We want a leadership that is democratically elected. that will take us to the elections prepared. When we founded the party we only had 190 days to prepare for the elections, now we have more than enough time.
Q: Tell us more about your partnership with other opposition parties?
A: We have strong relations with other opposition parties. There are eight of us working together in finalising the manifesto of commitments. I am more than certain we will make a huge impact come 2014. The Democratic Alliance decided to do its own campaign now but they are still open to collaboration in the local government elections. — abongileM@dispatch.co.za
Lekota adamant Shilowa faction will have to renew membership
CONGRESS of the People (COPE) leader Mosiuoa Lekota has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, mostly for being at loggerheads with the co-founder of the party, Mbhazima Shilowa.
Five years after COPE was founded, and now that the four-year battle for leadership has been won, it is left to Lekota to rebuild a party which has seen a significant drop in membership.
He spoke to Abongile Mgaqelwa recently about his plans for the general elections and what the future holds for COPE.
Q: You have just won a court battle against Mbhazima Shilowa and been declared the legitimate leader of COPE, what’s next for you?
A: Our task is to now report back to the provinces of the outcome of the court case and discuss a way forward. We have to prepare for the upcoming elections and we need to go there as a united force.
This fragmentation over the years damaged us badly so we need to mend that as we go towards the elections. I am confident that in 2014 we will be more than ready for the elections.
Q: When you founded the party you had muscle and it all fell apart, what happened?
A: Well we started out strong, everything was in place, the interim leadership was doing well and then some people within the party brought in Reverend Mvume Dandala, out of the blue. We had a very good chance of making a huge impact in the polls but the introduction of Reverend Dandala created confusion in the party. It brought us down. People did not know who the leader was.
Q: Were you against the introduction of Reverend Dandala?
A: I had no choice, there were people from within who plotted the move very carefully. My strategy was to play along and from within the ranks slowly re-educate people. I had to stay under the radar because I knew if I disputed the strategists within the party, they would kick me out. In May 2010 I worked to set up the structures of the party. Shilowa was in parliament with the reverend and I was told to work the party structures.
He wanted to use the reverend to move me out. So when the reverend left, after realising that politics was nothing like church, people said I should go to parliament.
Q: After the court victory, a decision was taken to have all members renew their membership. This has been viewed as a way of purging Shilowa loyalists. Will you purge those that followed Shilowa?
A: We have made it quite clear that anybody who wants to be a member of COPE is welcome to renew their membership.
All those who did not register with us before will unfortunately be removed from their positions. From those in the legislatures through to those in councils.
They have aligned themselves with a faction that was declared null and void by the courts therefore they have to start afresh. We will keep the door open for anyone who wants to come back. , however there are those we cannot consider, such as those who committed offences of a financial, criminal and policy nature.
Q: Why do you want members to renew their membership?
A: Some people made a conscious decision to follow the other side and did not register with us when we asked everyone to renew their membership. But we are not using the outcome of the court to be vindictive. We will go through normal disciplinary processes for those who erred, but renewal of membership covers everyone in the party. We have to account for each and every member of COPE.
Q: As fragmented as the party is, do you think you stand a chance in the general elections?
A: We have resolved to take the party to its first national congress. Branch annual general meetings will be held by November 25. By December 3 we will hold regional congress and on December 19 we hold provincial congresses. On January 12 we plan to hold our national congress.
We want a leadership that is democratically elected. that will take us to the elections prepared. When we founded the party we only had 190 days to prepare for the elections, now we have more than enough time.
Q: Tell us more about your partnership with other opposition parties?
A: We have strong relations with other opposition parties. There are eight of us working together in finalising the manifesto of commitments. I am more than certain we will make a huge impact come 2014. The Democratic Alliance decided to do its own campaign now but they are still open to collaboration in the local government elections. — abongileM@dispatch.co.za
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