Former Congress of the People (COPE) spokesperson Dennis Bloem says a jostle for leadership positions has led to the party’s demise. He has resigned from the party he helped to form 15 years ago.
At its formative stages COPE participated in the 2009 elections and got over 1.3 million votes with over 30 members of Parliament (MPs) and representation in all nine provinces. But today it has no representation in the nine provincial legislatures and only two MPs.
Bloem says their foundation was not strong enough to live up to the political realities of self-interest.
On his decision to resign, Bloem says it was not an easy decision to make.
“It was not an easy decision for me to take. It was difficult but it had to happen that I resign. I could not take it anymore. This thing of the deputy president Willie Madisha and comrade Hleko being expelled from the Congress of the People is a very big influence in my decision to resign. The Deputy President Willie Madisha is an older member of the Congress of the People, Ntate Hleko, the founding member. I cannot sit and accept this type of thing happening to my comrades. “
Bloem says he does not have anything to do with the Congress of the People anymore:
