Marais stays with Cope after list slip
Veteran Cape politician Peter Marais will remain with Congress of the People (Cope) after being “illegally” removed from the party’s provincial election list.
Marais said on Thursday that he had been placed at number 40 on Cope’s national list for the election in April.
“I remain a member of Cope,” Marais said.
“I was initially on the provincial list before being illegally removed.
He added: “Number 40 is the only place where they could fit me in at this stage. I believe the person at number 40 did not have their papers in order.
“I don’t know what my final designation will be.”
Marais said on Tuesday that he would consult his support base following the omission of his name from Cope’s list for the Western Cape legislature.
He said that he understood his name had been well up on the list of candidates for the province, but that a “fake list” had been handed in to the Independent Electoral Commission instead.
“I had meetings in many coloured townships asking them to come out and support Cope,” Marais said.
“And now people are unsure what’s going on, why am I off the list.”
People were asking him now whether they should still vote for the Cope, and if they could trust the party, he said.
Marais said he had read reports that Cope leader Mosiuoa Lekota himself would investigate the tampering with of Cope’s election lists.—Sapa
