The heading resembles the statement issued by the Secretary General of Cope as per the outcome of the CNC meeting.

The more I debate with other comrades, the more I realize that, it is the CNC which is truly ready for the congress and not membership. The broader membership is ready for a Cope event, any event for that matter, its even better if they are going to vote for someone, it's exciting.

But, is Cope really ready for Congress? Does membership even understand what role a Congress play in an organization like Cope? Maybe some do, maybe some don't.

The general feeling amongst those who are eager to have the congress are more eager to have democratically elected leadership, this means that, they view congress in terms of the election of leadership and nothing else. The majority of those who are really eager to have the Congress are mostly looking forward to see Mbhazima Shilowa lead and mostly they cannot stand the sight of President Patrick Lekota.

This is much clearer when you look at it from the youth side, its no secret that both Anele Mda and Malusi Booi cannot stand Terror Lekota. So, the push for an early Congress by youth was not motivated by their eagerness to strengthen Cope, but their hatred for the President of Cope.

They cannot even articulate what it means to be ready for congress. In their view all you need is launched branches, ballot papers and candidates for positions nothing else.

But, a closer look shows that, by any measure we are not ready.

Only a few individuals in the interim structures know exactly how the Congress will unfold. They are the only ones who are privileged with the knowledge of the rules of the congress. Branches don't know who is in the branch audit team, how were they appointed to be in that team, what document was used to do such an appointment of an audit team. What was the qualification for anyone to be in such a team? No one is privileged to this information except for a few individuals.

It is amazing that, most of us don't know the criteria of auditing a branch. Under what condition can a branch be disqualified? What would lead to a decision for a branch to re-launch? What are the minor things that the branch can fix and restore its legitimacy?

There is no document on these matters. No discussion document was ever released to elaborate on these issues.

In essence we will walk in a congress without any knowledge of how it must unfold; different branches will have different perceptions on how the congress must unfold. Things like, the role of an independent body, the role of the CWC, who can chair the congress and who can't chair the congress. The process of verifying delegates has not been elaborated upon. No process of verifying credentials in the congress has been developed.

In essence, there are no rules for the Congress, if they exist, they are only known to the Congress National Committee.

Those who are pushing for the congress to happen now, they are making a mockery of Cope.

All other Congresses, that is Regional and provincial, did not entertain policy at all. They were purely for electing leadership and nothing else.

Although the Secretary General of COPE says we are ready for congress, she does not have a report from a single branch. In her view, the modernity of Cope as a political party is to count numbers, that is, Limpopo 391 branches, Gauteng 167 branches and that is equal to readiness. I'm convinced that, she has no clue of what the state of the branches is.

To top is all, the elective Congress will be the first ever event that Cope branches will meet. They have never met to discuss policy, rules of the congress or constitutional matters. Cope has not had a policy conference or a National General Council.

Branches have no common understanding on any issue. There is no proper constitution that everyone can rely on as the Congress takes place. It would mean any objection of any process can be treated as an opinion and the Chair will have an ultimate authority.

As it is, we don't know in as far as Cope is concerned, what should constitute a transparent, fair, democratic and free congress? Every one has their own opinion on this issue.

That is why you had Regional and Provincial congresses being run like people own Cope. The Provincial leadership being a referee and a player, in these congresses. Ensuring that friends and collogues are appointed to positions of leadership, through the abuse of unclear processes and unclear constitution.

The National Congress will be spoiled by Ghost branches and Ghost delegates just like the Gauteng Provincial Congress.

All processes are decided by those who are in control of the levers of the organization. They have an opportunity therefore to ensure that this processes favour their proffered leaders. Those tendencies have already been witnessed in both regional and provincial congress.

We are not ready for the congress that will unite and strengthen Cope. We are ready however for an event that will make Mbhazima a king.

In the build up to this congress, all principles and values that Cope was founded on were disregarded. 

The emergence of fraud, corruption, undemocratic behaviors, bullying, nepotism, racism, regionalism, careerism, tribalism, sexism and hypocrisy had caught us by surprise.

COPE still have a chance to overcome all this negativity.

What we need is a National General Council and elaborates on matters of policy and constitution. We need to encourage our members to learn that, that's were things start.

COPE congress will only be a success if it takes place under conditions were the majority of membership feel that, the processes were fair and transparent.

Currently those who are in power suspend opponents, disband structures that do not share the same choice with them and many more irregularities.

We are not ready for congress, period.

Sefu Sekgala is a member of COPE's newly elected Congress Regional Committee (Tshwane Region). He writes in his capacity.

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