Address by Congress of the People President Mosiuoa Lekota on the ocassion of the provincial manifesto launch in the Western Cape, Langa Sports Complex, April 2 2011

In 2008, when the Congress of the People was being formed, the people of Langa resoundingly pioneered our New Agenda of Hope and Change. Not far from here, we addressed the people on or options to dare to dream of a future for us all.

Today, I am honoured to be in this historic community once again. This, a community that has sacrificed and given so much in the heroic resistance of our people against the tyranny of Apartheid. This very community has repeatedly, on many occasions, demanded change. And today, the Congress of the People is here to join you in your wish and proclaim that The Time for Change is NOW!

As President of the Congress of the People - elected together with capable, tried and tested leaders, we have collectively withstood a sustained attack to remove us from the Congress of the People.

But, we are still here! 10 court cases later! 10-0 to the Congress of the People! Parliament recognises us! The IEC recognises us! The people recognise us! There is only one Congress of the People!

Today as we launch our manifesto with you, we present this document FOR the people, BY the people, and OF the people.

And with this document we will walk from house to house - here in Langa, next door in Mannenberg, in Rylands, in Retreat, in Bishopscourt and in the farms of this fair Cape - to make sure we elect local government that is not only FOR our people, and BY our people, but above all, OF our people!

We as the Congress of the People are serious about fighting corruption. We have fought it and defeated it in our own ranks. Together, in partnership with you, we shall defeat it once again and wherever it rears its ugly head!

We, as the Congress of the People are committed to defeating racism and prejudice, to building true non-racialism and a united and prosperous South Africa for ALL who live in it! In partnership with YOU, we WILL defeat the historical injustices of apartheid. This can only be achieved with you, the people, or community, as a key partner in our common objective of change for the better.

In the Congress of the People we have no surplus of people, we have only OUR people, each equally entitled to their share of the richness, and diversity, of OUR South Africa. EVERY South African, black, white, coloured or those with Indian ancestors, are members of the Congress of the People. It is as simple as filling in a form and signing up for the only truly South African party. A party that embraces all of us in all of our beautiful diversity!

The Congress of the People is committed to ensuring that all South Africans, all our people, get quality, affordable services from local government. We present to you, and to all our communities, capable and caring men and women who, together with the professional civil servants that we will appoint, will put and END to the corruption, and END to waste and maladministration that characterises the majority of municipalities, and put an END to the "cadre deployment" that has robbed our people of our basic rights and basic services!

The ruling party continues to fail our people as it lurches from Zumagate to Manyigate, from the corruption of police commissioners compromised by criminals to selling our country, OUR future, to one financial advisor to the President, and yet again to another.

We, in the Congress of the People are ready to serve. We, in the Congress of the People, are ready to listen to you when you say:

"Down with corruption! Down with racial intolerance! Down with poor services!"

The Time for Change is Now! Now is the Time for Change! The Congress of the People stands for leadership through partnership WITH the people. The Congress of the People is YOUR partner in Change!

The Congress of the People stands for unity of ALL South Africans - Black, Coloured, Indian and White. The Congress of the People stands for positive change - REAL change that brings EFFECTIVE service delivery to ALL our people. Real change that ends the system of "tenders for comrades" that is stealing from our people and robbing our communities of their Constitutional rights!

The Congress of the People is a national party. We are represented in all provinces, in Parliament and we are the official opposition in 5 provinces. We are a growing party, we are a young party.

And as a young party we give you a FRESH start, a NEW beginning for a TRULY prosperous future for ALL our people!

The Congress of the People IS the future! Vote for YOUR future! Vote for your COUNTRY's Future. Vote for us, vote COPE, and VOTE for REAL change for all our people!

Our people deserve better than what they have been sold to date. South African women, men, youth, our children and our senior citizens deserve better than empty promises, lip-service to delivery and services that fail to live up to our country's commitment to a South Africa that truly belongs to ALL who live in it!

Our country, our people, YOU, deserve, a Partnership OF the People, a partnership FOR the people, made possible by the Congress OF the People! Make YOUR voice heard. People of Langa, people of the Western Cape, people of South Africa, our time is NOW! Our time to DEMAND REAL change is NOW!

The Time for Change is Now! Now is the Time for Change!v

Issued by COPE, April 2 2011

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