Rumours that a KwaZulu-Natal minister was expected to resign from the African National Congress (ANC) on Tuesday and join the Congress of the People (Cope) was ”a blatant lie”, Cope provincial coordinator Nhlanhla Buthelezi said.
”It’s a black, green and gold lie … one that was started by the ANC,” he said.
Speaking ahead of Cope’s launch in the KwaDukuza area, Buthelezi accused the ANC of trying to ”deliberately anger Cope”.
”There is no ANC [provincial minister] resigning today [Tuesday] and we have not spoken to any of the [provincial ministers].
” If the ANC has got their own internal problems, it’s their issue.
”They must not blame Cope for it.”
He stressed that Cope was not talking to provincial ministers or trying to persuade them to leave the ANC.
”If [they] are leaving, it’s because of their own problems within the party. We are tired of them blaming us every time one of their members leave.
”They are the ones reshuffling the [provincial ministers] and putting new people in place”
Buthelezi and other Cope members were expected to converge on the KwaDukuza Town Hall at 10am, where they were to announce the new Cope leaders appointed in the area.
”We are unleashing the leadership of the area and at the same time we will do some campaigning for the election.”
He said they were angered that certain ANC members were ”pulling all strings” for an early election.
”But it doesn’t matter what they do because Cope is ready for an early election,” he said.
Police spokesperson Inspector Michael Read said there had been no protests or disruptions in the KwaDukuza area ahead of the launch. — Sapa