COPE Youth Movement KZN recognises and supports new national leadership of COPE YM (December 20 2010)
Recent media statements issued by Anele Mda and Malusi Booi have created the false impression that these two individuals are still the leaders of COPE YM in South Africa. This is not true.
For a while we had no leadership after the provinces Youth disbanded the Working Committee, as it had become clear that Anele Mda and Malusi Booi were not leading the YM satisfactorily. The YM was put under the curatorship of Smuts Ngonyama and Lyndall Shope-Mafole. These two curators recommended that the YM go to an elective conference and this was accepted by the Congress Working Committee (CNC).
On December 13th, COPE YM had an inaugural conference, where all the provinces were represented. At the conference, we elected an interim structure to take us to an elective conference in 24 months. COPE YM is therefore now under the leadership of Nqaba Bhanga as president, and Ngoako Abel Rangata as secretary.
We fully support and recognise the leadership of these two individuals.
We also wish to distance ourselves from the ‘new leadership' of COPE under Mr Mbazima Shilowa. We are concerned and disappointed by the conduct of Mr Shilowa and his supporters. Violence, disruption, insult and manipulation are not what we want in COPE.
We would also like to send a clear message to any provincial COPE leader who is not behaving in a fashion in keeping with the ideals of COPE - especially with regard to mismanagement of funds. COPE is a party committed to high ideals, and it is disappointing that some people claim to support those ideals while their behaviour is the exact opposite. We need to start showing the people of South Africa that COPE is party that can govern.
Statement issued December 20 2010
COPE Professionals and Business Sector Backs Lekota: COPE Professionals denounce "election under a tree" (December 20 2010):
Johannesburg, 20 December 2010: The Professionals and Business sector of the Congress of the People condemn with contempt the malicious attempts by the followers of Mbhazima Shilowa to derail the Inaugural Elective Congress of COPE at the Heartfelt Church, Thaba Tshwane, Thursday, 16 December. After bussing in loads of non-COPE individuals drawn from the neighbouring townships of Tshwane and also realising that only legitimate delegates would be allowed into the venue, Shilowa's supporters decided to confer under a close-by tree to elect their leadership. This rowdy and unconstitutional behaviour occurred after incessant attempts by Shilowa's supporters to sabotage the registration process from Tuesday evening to Thursday.
Professionals and Business Sector President, Aubrey Somana said, "It is our contention that by the time they held their elections the congress had not been declared open and that the credentials of the attendees had not bee tested. Their elections, therefore, amounts to self-excision from the Congress of the People and they should no longer be regarded as members of the party".
"It is regrettable that genuine members of the Congress of the People were hood-winked by Shilowa and others. We wish to let all those members know that now that the disruptive elements are out of COPE, the party will start in earnest to prepare for the local government elections and a new date for the elective congress will be decided upon as soon as possible", Somana said.
Statement issued December 20 2010
COPE OVERBERG REJECTS SHILOWA'S PUTSCH: Regional affairs placed under administration
The news of Mosiuoa Lekota's resounding support as the President of Cope, shown by the delegates at the Cope congress held in Pretoria last week, came as heart felt affirmation for those who had met and came to know him in Hermanus on the two occasions of his visits to our region. Lekota particularly endeared himself to the audience at the Kalfie Fees ontbyt debate, where his political wisdom, vision and integrity was all too evident to the audience.
Readers may wonder why the record of this event is relevant to the residents of Hermanus and the Overstrand, and in this regard, it will be seen to be in order, to set the record straight. The Cope Elective Congress was wrecked by a Shilowa ‘putsch' and not allowed to be constituted. We need to understand the effect of this on the functioning of the party, nationally and in the region.
Cope members and interested supporters want, need and deserve a functional, constructive and democratically elected leadership not the brazenly opportunistic and illegal seizure, exercised by this rogue political ‘strongman' Shilowa.
It has been determined over the weekend that the following summarized decision points are being put into motion and will be evident in the news media this week.
1. The leadership of Cope remains intact under the Presidency of Lekota.
2. It has been resolved that recommendations will be made to the CNC for the expulsion from Cope of those members of parliament, members of the CNC, the CWC, and ordinary members who willfully disrupted a democratic process, damaged the property of service providers, and brought the name of the party into disrepute.
3. Shilowa and those who availed themselves for nomination for leadership positions have effectively left the party and formed an organization of their own, whatever they choose to call it, it is not the Congress of the People.
To this effect no communication from the factional (Shilowa run) Regional office from the pen of Derrick Appel, the regional secretary will be of any authority or consequence. The Cope Party in the Overstrand will be run through its Secretary Wonga Bulani and its chairman John Williams.
Cope will continue to advocate sustainable development, and say no, to nuclear proliferation, unregulated development, and calls for a strict adherence to heritage and environmental protection. Cope will fight racial polarization and calls for cultural harmony and a sustainable tourism development strategy. Cope can be found on the party web site www.cope.za.org
Statement issued by John Williams, Chairman Overstrand Zonal Committee, Overberg Regional Representative, December 21 2010
COPE LIMPOPO REJECTS SHILOWA: Chairpersons and Secretaries of all five regions in agreement Calls for expulsion of Shilowa, George and others (December 21 2010)
The Chairpersons and Secretaries of all five (5) regions in Limpopo (Vhembe, Mopani, Waterberg, Sekhukhune and Capricorn) received a mandate from their branches in the Province to issue the following statement:
The Congress of the People in all regions of Limpopo condemn in the strongest terms, the thuggish behaviour by those elements who came to the conference to disrupt what was supposed to be our first elective conference in Pretoria last week. We have subsequently learned that these thugs were planted by some former leaders of COPE who do not want to see our organisation prosper and offer the population of South Africa a true alternative to government.
Those opposed to democratic culture and election process have stopped at nothing in their concerted campaign to drive the organisation to its ultimate crash, but they failed once again. These elements have also sought to portray President Mosiuoa Lekota as someone who doesn't want to face an elective process. We find their accusations very opportunistic, as we all know that it is Shilowa and his cronies who continuously frustrated any effort by the President and the CNC to ensure that the organisation held a successful policy conference earlier this year and a subsequent elective conference this month of December 2010.
Those elements continued to disrupt CNC meetings, steal and destroy ballot papers during elective processes in CNC gatherings. All these things are happening under the instruction of Mbhazima Shilowa. Not even a single day or an hour has he stood and denounced such behaviour. He is the one who instigates the violent tendencies in our organisation. For someone who publicly insisted that he subscribes to a democratic process, he should relish any due process that would have ensured a clean conference. But instead he continues to use misguided youth to ensure that the elective conference is hijacked.
This also comes in the wake of our elective conference which was supposed to have been held last week 15-16 December 2010. But the conference did not take off because Mbhazima Shilowa and his cronies did not appreciate democratic processes. It is people who are mostly not even authentic members of the Congress of the People (COPE) who made sure that they frustrate the registration process.
But the final straw was when these anti-democrats stole and destroyed registration documents.
As the Congress of the People, we want to applaud the President for his constant and determined efforts to ensure that congress takes place. Together with the Head of the Accreditation committee, these two individuals did not leave any stone unturned to ensure that delegates were scanned, approved and enabled to vote in the first elective congress of our party. Despite their efforts, our people from all over the country were exposed to violence by thugs who were bussed in merely to ensure that we didn't have a successful and resounding elective conference. We acknowledge and appreciate the visionary leadership and the demonstration of selflessness from Cde. Terror and the CNC.
We re-affirm our unqualified and unequivocal support to the president and current CNC for their visionary leadership. Should they' have continued having this elective conference, we would have had casualties that would haunt the leadership for a very long time. The leadership have once again demonstrated that the organisation and our members' safety are more important that leadership positions.
We further re-affirm that the President and current CNC still lead our organisation until they convene a proper elective conference - minus these thugs and rented members. As far as we know there was no conference. After Pastor Pienaar, the owner of the venue, and General Gela of the SAPS instructed us to vacate the premises, we did so. Anyone who claims to have been elected at Heartfelt Arena was definitely not in a conference organized by COPE. If there is anyone who claim to have been elected under a tree, such elements should give themselves a name for their group and stop using the Congress of the People name.
We also appreciate the resolve demonstrated by our own delegates who spent sleepless rainy nights and went days without food, just to defend the soul of our organisation. We call upon these democratic, freedom and peace-loving members of our organisation to come together, heighten their vigilance against those who want to hijack our organisation by anointing power hungry pseudo leaders.
We reject to be driven by cheque-book politics and undemocratic means by those who want to lead by hook or crook. These elements will stop at nothing to impose themselves as leaders even if it means using fraudulent means to achieve their barbaric cause.
We call upon all members and lovers of the organisation to reject these elements. We further appeal to those who love and support COPE to remain calm in the face of these thuggish acts by these violent elements who do not want to see our glorious party prosper and focus on defending the democracy and bettering the lives of our people.
Guided by the need and imperative to unite the organisation and root out unsavoury elements within our ranks, we need to pursue the fundamental objective of creating a clean, corrupt-free, democratic, prosperous and true alternative organisation which will appeal to modern society.
We demand that the CNC provide clear and unequivocal leadership by:
1. Pronounce on the immediate expulsion of Deputy President Mbhazima Shilowa, National Head of Organising Mluleki George, "Chairperson" of the Western Cape Mbulelo Ncedana, "Secretary" of the Eastern Cape Arcie Ralo, "Chairperson" of Gauteng Pastor John Ncgebetsha, "Secretary" of Kwa Zulu Natal Phillip Mhlongo, and "Deputy Chairperson" of Gauteng Clara Motau, for bringing the organisation into disrepute.
2. Expel the former "leader" of the COPE Youth Movement, one Anele Mda, and the former "secretary", one Malusi Booi, who refuse to acknowledge the democratically elected leadership of the COPE YM of President Nqaba Bhanga and General Secretary Ngoako Abel Rangata.
3. Mandating the democratically elected leadership of Limpopo to take decisive steps against any member who act in a divisive manner.
4. Calling the CNC to reconvene the elective conference at a convenient but earliest time to ensure that we go to local government election with elected leadership.
We believe that that the Congress of The People remains a source of hope and inspiration, not only for the members within its ranks, but to all South Africans. We remain confident that these elements will not succeed in their subversive attempt to destabilise our organisation. Our people will make ure this does not happen.
Signed on this day, 20 December 2010 by all Regional Chairpersons and
Secretaries of every Region in Limpopo Province.
Capricorn Region : Chairperson Mamogale Kgoana
Carpricorn Region: Secretary Stella Dinyake
Sekhukhune Region : Chairperson William Mokwana
Sekhukhune Region : Secretary Chipane Makweng
Vhembe Region : Chairperson Geoffrey Tshibvumo
Vhembe Region : Secretary : Sammy Netshifhefhe
Mopane Region : Chairperson : Sello Mokoele
Mopane Region : Secretary : Senyola Manjaro
Waterberg Region : Chairperson : Dr Joseph Nkoko
Waterberg Region : Secretary : Pat Motlouneng
Statement issued by: Johann Abrie (Member of the COPE Executive, December 21 2010
Letter from the COPE Gauteng Women's Movement, December 22 2010:
Attention: Comrade Acting General Secretary - Deidre Carter
- Comrade President - Patrick Mosioua Lekota
- Former Comrade Deputy President - Mbhazima Shilowa
- Members of the CNC and CWC
Good Morning,
It is with great concern that we are communicating this to you. As the Women of Gauteng we've observed with disgust the conduct by Former Deputy President Mbhazima Shilowa and his supporters during our second attempt to host the 1st National Elective Conference.
It is highly disturbing to recall the fact that when the violence erupted comrade Mbhazima Shilowa was present at the venue and he did nothing to discourage the fights though he could clearly see that women were being injured. It is our belief that he orchestrated the violence to check his support measure and we consider his act senseless and dangerous to our organisation. Mbhazima Shilowa was disturbing the registration process and we are aware that some of his members were issuing hand strips for delegates who hadn't been accredited. We could therefore conclude that Mbhazima Shilowa and his supporters didn't want the congress to go on though they twisted the facts.
As the supporters of Mbhazima are preparing for yet another court case, we vow to walk hand-in-hand with our current President and soldier on with the current leadership. It is our understanding that the constitution of our organisation does not force the CNC to dissolve after the 16th December 2010 but the congress was "a nice to have" under normal circumstances; we can all agree that the past year has been nothing but normal for COPE. We will however welcome the decision of Mbhazima Shilowa to form his own party and take his supporters with him as it's our belief he cannot work with civilised people.
It will be very amiss if we did not reflect on the death of Comrade Mcedisi Quluza of the Eastern Cape whose passing shall forever reflect the road which we travelled through as principled cadres and citizens of this country. Our condolences to his family and friends; we guarantee that his death shall not be in vain and we pledge our support to the principled alternative of governance.
Always equal to task,
Provincial Chairperson - Connie Mosimane
Tshwane Secretary - Mpho Mehlape
Westrand Secretary- Sylvia Templeton
Ekhuruleni Deputy Chair - Martha
Issued December 22 2010
COPE Western Cape Branches Rejects Shilowa(December 22 2010):
* New Provincial Congress by end of January 2011
* Calls for expulsion of Shilowa, disclosure of patronage in WC COPE HQ
The Western Cape branches of COPE that attended the aborted the National Elective Congress in Pretoria over the 15 - 16 December 2010, met on the 21st December and wish to raise pertinent issues regarding the congress.
During the accreditation process, we had unearthed fraudulent allocation of delegates by the executive committee of the Western Cape COPE of Mbulelo Ncedana and Moegamat Majiet. The most despicable of all was the delegation to represent at congress, a comrade who was buried about four weeks ago.
We also noted with jaw-dropping astonishment the allocation of delegates to branches that do not exist and the replenishment of delegates with Shilowa activists to nullify those who the branches had nominated with a Lekota mandate. This has shed light on the reason as to why their administration had arranged amongst others, transport and accommodation, solely for their delegates and not those of the Western Cape.
This sordid state of affairs has resulted in the branches of this province to:
- Denounce the Congress Provincial Committee of Ncedana and Majiet that was based on the launching of one region out of six. A properly constituted Provincial Congress Committee will be launched in the first month of the new year and will include all regions.
- Insist on the closure of COPE Constituency Offices until proper procedures have been followed in the employment of staff as against the lever of patronage used as a war-chest and operations-room by the Shilowa faction.
- Call for the expulsion of Mbhazima Shilowa from COPE and all those whose behavior, practice and conduct is unconstitutional.
The branches wish to align themselves with a value system that is transparent, free and judicious. These attributes, to date, have largely been best espoused by Mosioua Lekota and we wish to further reiterate to all those who voted for COPE that it will be sanitized of all elements that charge against their investment in this party.
Our people are best entrusted with defining their own leadership as evidenced by those members, especially the frail and infirm, who braced all the elements to ensure that St George's, does not recur. We salute them and endeavour to ensure better logistical provisions for a properly constituted National Elective Congress.
Shilowa can declare himself a president as many times as he wishes, but our resolve is simple and it is decent - Lekota is not a man of the moment - he is a leader of our time.
Issued by the Convenor of Western Cape branches, Ntombomzi Macingwana, December 22 2010
EASTERN CAPE COPE REJECTS SHILOWA (December 23 2010):
* Calls for expulsion of Shilowa, George and others
* EC PILG must be disbanded
Cope in the Eastern Cape is utterly disgusted by the behavior of the Deputy President comrade Mbhazima Shilowa who is continuously plunging the organization into state of arnachy. The Eastern Cape has observed the distractive actions of comrade Mbhazima Shilowa that led to the collapse of the COPE national conference that was to be held at Pretoria from the 15-16 December 2010.
We the Eastern Cape COPE, want to reaffirm that comrade Terror Lekota remains the president of COPE and Mbhazima Shilowa as his deputy till the CNC reconvenes and hopefully takes our suggestion to expel him. We further reaffirm our confidence to the current national leadership under the stewardship of President Terror M. Lekota, to take us to a credible and democratic national conference.
The Eastern Cape COPE denounces the lies that have been paddled in the media by Sipho Ngwema claiming that COPE has elected a new leadership in Pretoria. There has never been any election of a new leadership of COPE in Pretoria as the conference totally collapsed even before completion of registration, due to the fact that our allegedly and seemingly drunken deputy president (Mbhazima Shilowa) and his supporters deliberately disrupted the conference after seeing that the balance of forces was not in their favor. The seemingly blood thirsty, corporate world purchased political fraudsters of the SHILOWA XPRESS saw no other option but to disrupt our congress once they saw the writing on the wall.
The Eastern Cape has made the following recommendations
1. The CNC should convene a special extended CNC meeting to assess the undertakings of the collapsed conference held in Pretoria.
2. The CNC should expel the deputy president Mbhazima Shilowa, Mluleki George, Archie Ralo, John Ngcebetsha, Mbulelo Ncedana, Nikiwe Num and Kiki Rwexana with immediate effect, due to their concerted effort of dividing the organization.
3. The CNC should expel Anele Mda, Sipho Ngwema with immediate effect for their disruptive behavior. The two have been on media paddling propaganda that seeks to undermine the leadership of COPE that was elected at Bloemfontein in 2008 under the leadership of comrade Terror Lekota.
4. The CNC should disband the E.C. Provincial Interim Leadership Group (PILG) led by Mr. Kwelita and Mr. Ralo, masquerading as E.C. CPC.
5. Those who were part of the "under the tree leadership election" must have formed their own organization and have as such dismissed themselves from COPE.
6. The CNC should reconvene another elective conference as soon as possible and ensure that, bogus branches are not allowed to participate in such a conference.
Statement issued by Dr Bara, Secretary of COPE Eastern Cape CPC, December 23 2010
COPE STUDENT MOVEMENT CALLS FOR EXPULSION OF SHILOWA
* Rejects "Under the Tree" Party
* Calls for Shilowa, Mda to be expelled and recalled from Parliament
* ANC members "bussed in to disrupt COPE conference"
COPE Student movement condemns the anti-democratic behaviour of certain individuals within the party who did their utmost to derail the democratic processes of the National Elective Conference of COPE.
It is against the founding philosophy of COPE that a vocal and violent minority sang songs praising Mbhazima Shilowa while COPE President Lekota was trying to address the gathering, generally disrupted the elections and accreditations process, attacked other delegates with chairs, and finally destroyed any semblance of order by tearing up the delegates list. This unruly behaviour is unacceptable.
What is even more disturbing is that we have heard reports that Shilowa's faction bussed in drunk ANC members to the venue with the express purpose of instigating violence, with the ultimate goal of collapsing congress.
We as COPE-SM, the young intellectuals and the future of COPE, would like to disassociate ourselves from the actions of this splinter group. To this end, we call for the following:
1. The expulsion of Mbhazima Shilowa from COPE, and his removal as a COPE ember of Parliament
2. The expulsion of Anele Mda and Malusi Booi from COPE, together with the removal as an MP of the former
3. The expulsion of any leadership purportedly elected under a tree at the conference venue by the splinter group.
We reaffirm the stance of COPE, in that the leadership elected under the tree has no legal standing whatsoever. As custodians of the constitution and the young intellectuals would like to denounce such leadership. There is no provision in COPE's constitution for the dissolution of the current leadership about or after the 16th December 2010. Therefore, such individuals have effectively left the party.
We call upon the Congress National Committee not to tolerate Shilowa's seditious behaviour, and to be expelled from COPE together with his band of political hooligans with immediately effect.
Statement issued by Sthembiso Dlela, President of COPE-SM, December 23 2010
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