"Lekota is like a shepherd without a flock - Judge"
Judgement was today reserved in a case between Terror Lekota and Congress of the people. The former president approached the court to overturn the motion of no confidence cut on him and former head of communications Phillip Dexter by the national congress last weekend.
After lengthy arguments by the representatives from both sides, Judge Mathopo gave both parties a golden opportunity to pursue a political solution to the matter.
Cope was willing to pursue a mediation lead by cope elders or an independent chair through the Congress National committee, Lekota rejected the political settlement and any political mediation proposed, squandering an opportunity to take the matter out of the courts and into the hands of collective leadership of COPE.
The judge who referred to Lekota as a ‘shepherd without a flock' suggested to the parties that it was in nobody's interest that a party represented in parliament should be in a situation where it cannot cohere in order to give its representative in parliament proper mandate. The COPE representatives argued that the National Congress as the highest decision body had the right to remove Lekota as the President, the same way he was appointed - by a resolution of the inaugural congress.
Judgement will be handed down at 14H00 on Sunday at the South Gauteng High Court.
Early in the day another court reserved judgement in the case brought by COPE to appeal the judgement that granted Lekota and Dexter an interdict stopping the COPE elections from taking place last week.
Commenting on today's developments the acting President said: "Today is yet another proof that these matters cannot be resolved through the courts. We still hope that sense can prevail. We believe in our case to abide by all the decisions of the National Congress yet we will respect any decision that the court hands down on Sunday".
Statement issued on behalf of COPE (S) by Onkgopotse JJ Tabane, June 4 2010
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