The Congress of the People’s (Cope) youth wing has reacted with anger to allegations that the party’s interim president, Mosiuoa Lekota, was purging provincial leaders he suspected of supporting his deputy, Mbhazima Shilowa, for the presidency of the party.
”If there is anybody at whatever level who is using the position that he or she holds in the party to destroy the stability and growth of this party, we will crush him,” said youth wing national coordinator Malusi Booi.
He called on leaders whose names were being used ”to cause disruptions in the organisation” to distance themselves from the allegations. ”We should deal harshly with people who joined this organisation to serve their own personal interests and those who are here to worship certain individuals,” he said.
The youth wing is yet to receive a formal report on allegations that some leaders, including Lekota, were threatening to ”dismantle” some provincial leadership structures. Booi said the youth movement would decide on what action to take if they receive a formal report.
Lekota embarked on ”surprise visits” to three provinces — the Eastern Cape, North West and Northern Cape — last week, allegedly as part of his plan to catch his opponents unprepared. A congress national committee (CNC) member told the Mail & Guardian that Lekota’s ”hit list” included four provincial leaders — Andile Nkuhlu (Eastern Cape), Nikiwe Num-Mangqo (North West), Lawrence Khoza (Gauteng) and Mbulelo Ncedana (Western Cape).
Earlier this year, Solly Mkhatshwa was removed as Limpopo chairperson to make way for former premier Sello Moloto. In Mpumalanga, Prudence Madonsela was installed in Cope’s only legislature seat, despite provincial chairperson Sizile Ndlovu topping the candidate list.
In a presentation made to the congress working committee (CWC) last Monday, the Eastern Cape leadership, led by secretary Archie Ralo, charged that Lekota had undermined protocol through his ”unpronounced, unknown and regrettably unprocedural visit” to the province. The M&G is in possession of Ralo’s document, which urged the national leadership to pursue ”a case of misconduct” against Lekota and CNC deployee in the province Thozamile Botha, who accompanied Lekota on the East London visit.
The leadership further claimed that in addition to T-shirts bearing Lekota’s face, there was also a ”Hands off Terror” campaign drumming up support for Lekota to stay on as president. Cope resolved at its inaugural conference in Bloemfontein that T-shirts bearing any leader’s face were not allowed. ”The CWC and CNC must instruct both the president and comrade Botha to go out to the same people and denounce these actions publicly,” said the Provincial Interim Leadership Group in its presentation.
Cope’s national spokesperson, Phillip Dexter, defended Lekota’s visits, saying they were sanctioned by the CNC. ”It is no secret that he is visiting all provinces where the organisation is functioning below expectations. That includes swapping people around in positions.” Dexter said that people who were removed from certain positions were still in leadership structures.
A CWC delegation led by Lekota is in the Eastern Cape on Monday and Tuesday to try to resolve a stand-off between the provincial leadership and a task team formed by an alleged pro-Lekota group. The group recently called for the entire provincial leadership, led by Nkuhlu, to be disbanded.
”We still regard ourselves as the leadership of the province,” said the secretary of the task team, Sipho Mkwayi. ”We were elected by the branches and we are a legitimate leadership of the province. We have the masses behind us.” Cope’s CWC has denounced the formation of the task team, with spokesperson Dexter saying the party would not allow parallel structures.
A statement issued by Cope general secretary Charlotte Lobe on Monday called on party structures and members to unite in building the organisation amid reports of power struggles. ”We call on everybody to allow us time and space to meet with the Provincial Interim Leadership Group and members of Cope who would like to contribute to the objective of building Cope and strengthening its unity and coherence,” said Lobe’s statement.
She said all issues that have been raised would be considered before decisions are made.