Statement of the Congress Working Committee of the Congress of the People - July 2011

The Congress Working Committe (CWC) of COPE met on Monday 4 July 2011. Among the resolutions reached were the following:

An ad-hoc task team to investigate the list process of the 2011 Municipal Elections has been appointed. The task team is led by the Acting General Secretary Deidre Carter. Other members of the task team are the Deputy Acting General Secretary, The Head of Policy, the National Treasurer, the Head of Elections, and the Youth Movement President.

The disciplinary committee to investigate the defiant conduct by Councillor Fielies of Hessequa has been instituted and the hearing continues. A formal statement will be issued once the disciplinary committee has reached its findings.

Local Government Councillor training for COPE councillors will be held on 29-30 July 2011.

A delegation of the CWC, led by COPE Chief Whip Tozamile Botha, will visit the Eastern Cape as part of addressing the organisational challenges in the province.

On reports that there have been informal "unity" talks between former Shilowa-aligned members of COPE and legitimate office bearers of the Congress of the People, the CWC resolved that no such talks should take place, and that members of the Congress of the People must be active in the formal structures of the party.

Any issues that any member may have regarding the direction and future of the organisation must be raised in these formal structures. To this end, any member of the Congress of the People who wishes to get clarity on how to contact legitimate structures in their locale, should contact the acting general Secretary at COPE HQ.

Statement issued by COPE Head of Communications, Phillip Dexter, July 5 2011

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