The Congress of the People (Cope) in the Free State on Monday threatened to withdraw from the party’s national congress unless it was postponed.
Free State Cope spokesperson Sello Dithebe said the request followed a special provincial meeting on Sunday.
“It (the meeting) was to discuss the recent audit of our membership by our national office as well as the general state of readiness for the national congress by all our structures.”
Dithebe said the meeting unanimously decided to suggest postponing the May national congress.
He said the reasons for the postponement were that all provinces, except the Eastern Cape, had less than 50% of their branches accredited to attend and the Free State also wanted a recount of its membership forms.
Dithebe said the meeting also felt that the party’s appeal at its inception had been undermined by the climate within the party at the moment.
He said members and supporters were deprived of all morale and hope.
“We need to take one step backwards in order to take more steps forward.”
The Free State also felt it was cause for concern that there had been an inexplicable and sudden rise in membership in provinces which had struggled to recruit, such as the North West.
Dithebe said further reasons for the call were uncertainty about the party’s financial resources to hold the congress.
“This only contributes to more chaos and uncertainty,” he said in a statement.
The Free State leadership said if the request for a postponement was not heeded it would have no option but to follow in the footsteps of Limpopo and Mpumalanga and not participate in the national congress.
Dithebe said the province felt national leadership should go back to the drawing board and get unity and cohesion within Cope.
He said the province also believed that certain people’s ambition to be elected and to occupy positions was the single most serious threat to the party.
“Cope belongs to the people and we implore our leadership to be guided by the dreams and aspirations of all members and South Africans, to build a party that can truly boast to be a beacon of hope,” he said. –Sapa