Congress of the People, COPE, is to launch its election manifesto in Bloemfontein today (Sunday) and the party’s leader Mosiuoa Lekota will deliver a key note address.
This is a splinter break away party from the ruling African National Congress. The convention was held during October/November in 2008 at the Sandton Convention Center and attracted an estimated 6 300 accredited delegates.
The party was officially launched on 16 December 2008 at Bloemfontein in the Free State. The launch of the new party in Bloemfontein followed the footsteps of the ruling party, which was formed in Bloemfontein in1912.
The road to choosing the name of the party was a bit tough, with officials considering the South African National Congress.
The name was abandoned in favour of the South African Democratic Congress of Ziba Jiyane’s break away from Nadeco.
COPE was then accepted but was highly contested by the ANC, and even ended up in courts. The case was heard in the Pretoria High Court, but dismissed with costs against the ANC.
Various political formations had reacted on the formation of COPE. The ANC Youth League described the move to establish a new party by Lekota, as insignificant.
While the Inkatha Freedom Party announced as regrettable the instability in any political party, but was quick to mention that they did not want to get involved in the ANC’s internal matters.
We’ve already started from Monday doing door to door in Mangaung and the surrounding areas and also other regions build up
United Democratic Movement’s leader, Bantu Holomisa, commented that the Zuma camp should accept that there was crisis in the ANC and that the organization has gone astray. And Holomisa’s sentiments were echoed by the Democratic Alliance’s Helen Zille, saying it’s clear that the ANC has lost its way.
As COPE grew in its membership, announcement after announcement came in, from the likes of Television actor Hlomla Dandala getting involved in the formation of the youth wing of the new party. Then came Eastern Cape’s former Premier Nosimo Balindlela and former Defence Deputy Minister, Mluleki George, followed by Smuts Ngonyama.
Then came in-fights as COPE Deputy Presidentm Mbhazima Shilowa, announced that he did not recognize Lekota as party president. This after Lekota won his battle at the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg to remain president of COPE.
Shilowa was finally sidelined from the party. Lekota has recently been re-elected as COPE president during the party’s first national congress held in January this year, at Boksburg in Gauteng.
The party is set to deliver its election manifesto in Bloemfontein, party’s Free State Provincial Secretary, Mzwandile Hleko, announced earlier this past week that, it was all systems go.
“We’ve already started from Monday doing door to door in Mangaung and the surrounding areas and also other regions build up.
The final push will be on Saturday where we are going to have DJ’s in the Waaihoek – that will be the final push, and we’ll also be welcoming our national structure, the Congress National Committee that will be arriving in the province.”
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