SOUTH AFRICANS DISMISS THE COPE "LEADERSHIP DEBACLE" AT THEIR PERIL
I have fielded so many questions from so many people saying that perhaps Shilowa and myself should step aside. I cannot speak for Shilowa, but let me speak for Lekota, and even perhaps for you, the ‘ordinary' South African.
People who feel this battle is about egos, do so at their peril. Those who urge me to "step aside", need to ponder the following: COPE with all its woes and PR blunders, bickering and seemingly rudderless direction, is being propelled nonetheless by an unstoppable force, the will of the people.
When I write my memoirs one day, I will look back on May the 29th 2010 as one of my best days, in spite of a most bitter lesson. People asked me afterwards, why was I smiling and looking so happy after such betrayal, and I had to answer, "How can I be miserable? Our people all over the country understood we were being hi-jacked and they said, "Enough is enough. We, the voters are fighting back." Had all the branches been represented that day, had Shilowa spoken for all the people, well then, I would have hung my head, walked away.
On that day thousands invested their faith in me, in COPE, and in my hour of need, the true COPE did not abandon me.
In the most unlikely of ways, the way ahead became clear.
Democracy matters. It was my life's work, it must always matter, if my life is to have meaning. It is not important that you vote for ANC, DA COPE whoever, that is the secondary matter. The primary issue is that you can vote!! And what is happening at COPE now, this way-laying of democracy, can easily be translated into other parties and South Africans ignore our lesson at their peril.
How do you attempt to hi-jack a political party? It nearly proved to be surprisingly easy!
In a nutshell, the electorate put an "X" next to the party of their choice. However, the leadership gets elected by branches, who ideally comprise of grass roots voters, people like you and I. These branches then elect delegates, who in turn will vote for Zonal, Provincial and national Leadership.
Therefore, the branches are crucial. They are where policies start, and leaders are elected. - Meaning, if they are axed, or disqualified, ignored, then effectively, from 1.3 million voters, the policies and leadership of COPE becomes a decision for a select / remaining few.
So - when as a leader - 992 branches are disqualified from 2100 odd, then a blind man can see, there is "something wrong." Cope's 992 "axed" branches simply refused to accept their "disqualification."
Couple the above to allegations of misconduct, then suddenly, the matter of leadership becomes pressing, because only one person can stop all the ‘talk', the investigations etc, and that is the Party Leader - the President - of the party. In this regard, too much has already been written about my "stubbornness."
It boils down to Democracy set aside in the most cunning of manners, and skulduggery repressed by virtue of elected office. - And who is standing in the way of this? Not just I alone. Humble branches in the rural areas, who understand all too well the value of their "X", many people who shook my hand and voted for COPE in 2009. Now, after that show of faith, I am being urged by some to consider stepping aside? To these people I say, to be a leader, you have to look behind you and there should be people following you. Who will our 1.3 million COPERS follow? If we have learnt one lesson at COPE, it is to take someone and set them up there as President - well, the public don't buy it!
Indeed, they don't want it. All it does is install token leadership, and token leadership can only effect token changes. And in the long run, we establish a ship without a captain, complete with frustrated passengers and crew.
So what have I learnt from this? COPE, indeed South Africa, has men and women of capacity. Excellent people. Potential leaders of substances have shown themselves, men and women who will serve SA well, if they get the opportunity. I have no doubt that eventually I can leave COPE in the hands of proven stewardship, with fresh ideas and thinking.
Until then I must soldier on. Vilified I might be by some, but it matters not what people call you, it matters only what you answer to. My time as a leader will be until the very day when the total electorate decides they will follow another. On that day, I too, will then fall instep behind the new leader. Until then I will not abandon COPE.
Terror Lekota
PRESIDENT - CONGRESS OF THE PEOPLE
Issued by COPE (L), June 3 2010
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