The Congress of the People notes the arrest of Mr. James Nkambule, an alleged employee and a member of COPE. The Congress of the People wishes to state that any activities by any of its members or employees in relation to the alleged ANC hit lists in Mpumalanga are not in any way sanctioned or connected to the party.

If individuals who are members or employees of the party have been involved in fabricating information and/or disseminating this, they will be subjected to the disciplinary processes of the organisation and must face the legal consequences of their actions.

While COPE is sure that the bully-boy tactics of the ruling party plumb the depths and include many unacceptable practices, the veracity of the information with regard to this alleged list has never been the subject of any discussion in the party and COPE has only relied on media reports in this regard.

While Mr. Nkambule remains innocent until proven guilty, the law must take its course in matters such as these and COPE will cooperate with the SAPS and any other government agency in this regard.

Statement issued by Phillip Dexter, Congress of the People head of communications, March 30 2010

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