The Congress of the People (COPE) has condemned the racial discrimination happening in the country.
The party’s re-elected president Mosiuoa Lekota has appealed to government to be firm on those perpetuating racial discrimination.
Lekota was speaking at the party’s 2nd national elective conference in Bloemfontein.
It was a jovial mood for members of the Congress of the People celebrating 10 years of existence and a new leadership to drive the party.
Lekota remains President, while Willie Madisha retains his position as deputy president. The longest serving COPE member, Papi Kganare is now the party’s General Secretary. He’s confident the party will do well in the coming elections.
“We have been very consistent and we are sure that the people who are now disillusioned by political events in the country will come and vote for us because there’s a large number of millions of people who are not voting because they have no political party to vote for,” says Kganare.
Newly elected COPE Women’s movement leader, Bukelwa Jacobs says it wants more women in leadership positions.
“Even ourselves we were so ashamed to see but it happened because we did want a lot of women there but people voted so it happened like that otherwise we did want that 50/50,” she says.
Lekota says the country remains in turmoil as there is no peace and stability.
“Race hatred and discrimination against anybody in this country is against the law and if we find a black person or a white person or any person who is encouraging racial hatred that person must be arrested and taken to the court so that so that they can be punished for pushing racial hatred.”
The three day national elective congress ends on Sunday.
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