THE COPE VISION MUST NEVER FALTER

Dear comrades,

It is almost a week since we buried Jen De Wet - a woman of profound integrity, loyalty, humour, professionalism and commitment. She was a very competent colleague, comrade and friend for more than a decade.

Surely even the catalogue of suffering that she has endured in the last days of her life, which were avoidable, will be not without higher purpose. And all the love she has poured into her temporal vessel of her spirit that broke that fateful Monday has not been in vain. It will do her good where she is now and us in remembering her life of dedication and commendable work ethics on this earth. Our duty is to make sure that her contribution to COPE was not in vain.

Like all of us, Jen looked forward and worked hard to make sure that COPE's vision to become an alternative government becomes a reality. Those of us still within COPE have a duty to honour her memory by making sure that the things she believed and worked for happen even if this is not in our lifetime.

Even when the dream of COPE threatened to defer she kept up her spirits, often reminding me that the people will eventually get the chance to elect the leadership they prefer: "And I hope," she once admonished, "you'll be matured enough to accept their decision if it does not go according to their wishes."

Very many people have given too much materially, emotionally and spiritually to see the vision of COPE falter due to our selfish ambitions. This is why this time around the date of the 15 December 2010 is non-negotiable. Fortunately those in Bloemfontein about two years ago had enough foresight to put as a condition that the interim leadership shall reach the end of its tenure on the 16 December 2010 if new leadership would not have been elected by then. Let us then make this coming Congress a pilgrimage of our renewal and hope.

It was a great honour to attend the inaugural congress of the North West Province which was held last Saturday 20 November in Mafikeng. Although the congress was initially delayed due to minor glitches, it was heartening to see delegates demonstrating patience and understanding. In the end, a foundation for a bigger and stronger organization was laid and a new leadership of our people in the province emerged.

We went down the memory lane together reminiscing about how and why we formed COPE. It was important to travel that maiden voyage once again because of the current disturbing events in our organization. Whilst we all could no longer identify with the terror the ANC had become under the Polokwane leadership, Cde Mosiuoa Lekota had led a voice that raised the pertinent issues with the ANC which was met with a peculiar attitude and response.

We reminded ourselves that cde Mosioua Lekota had written to ANC SG, Gwede Mantashe, on October 2008, and said: "... for some time now, I have lived with a growing sense that our leadership has veered the organisation away from the established policy priorities and customary democratic norms of the ANC.

"For instance, (i) those who express views that are contrary to popular opinion in meetings and conferences of the organisation are later hounded out and purged from organisational and state structures. This is contrary to the ANC's democratic culture."

Mantashe did not respond. Strangely, he asked Jeff Radebe to do so. In his response Radebe sidestepped the issues, but said amongst many other things:

"Put bluntly, you and those who share your views are giving notice to leave the ANC. For the record, the ANC is a voluntary association of individuals who believe in it, and who a free to leave as and when they cease to do so."

Lekota was resolute in exposing the intolerant and undemocratic tendency and persisted with a subsequent letter, and said in part:

"I have noted with sadness the veiled threat of expulsion of myself in your mandated reply. That is an unfortunate approach because it is a measure usually used by bullies when they fail to provide convincing answers to questions raised by those entrusted to their leadership I insist on my right to be provided with replies to the questions I raised."

In a memorandum prepared by some ANC provincial leaders released by Lekota, it was stated that:

"Historically, members of the ANC are not penalized for holding views or expressing preference when it comes to election of leaders. But since Polokwane, we have observed a systematic weeding out from structures of the organization and government, those comrades who preferred leadership other than the current National Executive Committee (NEC). This dictatorial approach to ANC affairs is unheard of in the history of the organization."

The Polokwane ANC leadership refused to engage constructively on issues cde Lekota had raised. We also refused to be part of a new destructive style and ethos of leadership that is not founded on democratic principles.

A few questions then arise: How different are we today in COPE from Jeff Radebe when his response to cde Lekota was to simply say: put up or shut up? Why would anyone amongst us, anyone who claims to have the interests of COPE at heart, propagate a formal division or a weakening of our glorious movement?

We are aware that the forces of division plan to surprise us with another interdict just days before the conference. This time we are ready to quell any attempts to stop an open, transparent and democratic process. The will of the people will not be thwarted this time around. Our people want us to stabilise and unify the organization, craft a progressive plan to reconnect with the masses post December.

Furthermore, we have noted the intensification of the launch of parallel structures throughout the country still sponsored by leaders at the highest echelons of our organisation. This is all done to give effect to their desire to leave the organisation and form their own. This we will not allow and they must rest assured that we will stop at nothing in exposing and halting their dirty endeavours. Even in the Eastern Cape where they seem to be on the provocative actions - we are ready for them this time. The Eastern Cape, under the leadership of comrades Kwelita and Rhalo is the only legitimate structure of our organisation and the audit committee is clear on that matter.

As we survey the situation of our country and our party today we must be reminded of Germany's chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, when he observed more than 100 years ago, that great statesmen have the ability to hear, before anyone else, the distant hoof beats of the horse of history.

No wonder Mandela is counted among the greatest statesman of the world. For one he knew when to quit while still ahead. More often than not, however, it is the wrong lessons of history that govern the thinking and the behaviour of our leaders today.

The tendency of leaders to follow the wrong lesson of history comes to an end when people are given opportunity to make their mark and let their voices be heard. And if we are to teach the nation this lesson then charity must begin at home; it must begin with us at COPE. If we expect people to trust us with their votes we need to demonstrate that we are credible and worthy of their votes, and know when our tenure has come to an end.

Given the toxic pull in South African politics towards perennial conflict we need to find means of giving primacy to our principles and vision above our ambitions. We need, as COPE, the hope for change and better life for all in this country, to find ways, even where we disagree to do so without angry sniping, sarcastic put-downs that lately has become the habit of our engagement with each other. The viral graffiti by which we have conducted ourselves before the world has done great disfavour and harm.

When the Berlin Wall collapsed, we saw the bankruptcy of both authoritarian politics and an economics of extensive, almost universal, ownership of the means of production and central planning. We saw a world suddenly become an intellectual wasteland. COPE at the moment is in that state, which is also an opportunity for what is called the ‘creative chaos'. Because COPE has been subjected to this baptismal by fire it should be able to rise from its ashes and create something beautiful for this country.

COPE has become a microcosm of what is happening in the greater South African politics at large. This is why we should be careful not to be deceived by those who call themselves your liberators when all they do is work for their power mongering ambitions that consolidate your oppression. They act as corruption busters, or modern day Hercules coming to clean the dirty stables. Meantime, it is they who are caught up in the mire of corruption. They are like the whitewashed graves that are rotten and stinking inside Jesus of Nazareth talked about.

As we look into the short histories of both our party and country we should be asking ourselves why is it possible that those who are contemptuous of our progressive ideals and values rise to rule over us all the time? If we say we are liberated we must reject everything that comes with our oppression, even when disguised as culture, Bolshevism in the guise of freedom fighter credentials, tokenism, or just blatant opportunism and careerism.

We are now no longer naïve anymore. We know what it'll take to really build a party that is to become a true alternative. We even know each other better and are able to look at each other without eyes shrouded by romance of Sandton and Bloemfontein. But if it should emerge that after all that has happened, all that has befallen us, we still want the same things and share similar vision, perhaps, just maybe, we shall gain more respect for each and be able to work towards our vision. Especially if we can do away with politics of lies.

We must honour the great memory of Jen de Wet by forging ahead in December and emerge with a clear visionary plan for the future. That will be a best way of paying tribute to her.

WOZA DECEMBER - IT'S NOW OR NEVER!

NGAWABANTU!

DEPUTY PRESIDENT

CONGRESS OF THE PEOPLE

MBHAZIMA SHILOWA

25 November 2010

Source: http://copetown.org/

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