The Congress of the People on Monday rebutted statements made by the party’s youth movement regarding the dissolution of its congress national committee (CNC).
“Whatever the challenges and weaknesses the party is facing, it would be a dereliction of duty if the leadership of the party disbanded itself and handed over the party to an unelected committee chosen by an unrepresentative group of members,” said the party in a statement.
Cope said that only its members and other South Africans could disband the CNC, which had been elected in December 2008.
The party also condemned the youth movement for declaring that there are divisions in the party, labelling them “destructive”.
“While Cope is a democratic organisation that encourages debate, this must be done in a constructive manner and in a tone mindful of the ethos and culture of the party.
“Labelling other members and using provocative language is not in the spirit of Cope,” said the party.
The youth movement’s national secretary Malusi Booi was quoted as saying that he had no confidence in the current leadership.
Cope’s congress working committee (CWC) would be meeting with the youth movement to discuss these issues at a date still to be finalised.
Meanwhile, the CWC met on Monday at its headquarters in Braamfontein. In addition to concerns over statements made by the youth movement, the CWC discussed the forthcoming policy conference and a national congress.
The CWC agreed that plans for the policy conference and the national congress would be presented to the next congress national committee at the beginning of February.
“The CWC discussed the preparations for the national meetings that will take place this year and agreed that all efforts should be made to have these meetings sooner rather than later,” said the party.
Hard work
Cope co-leader Mbhazima Shilowa said the party needed to work “very hard” to establish branches and develop policies, in an interview on SAfm on Monday.
” … all of us, including them, need to go out there, work very hard to ensure that we establish branches where they are supposed to be,” he said in response to criticism from the Cope’s youth movement on Sunday.
He said the biggest problem in the party was ensuring that the cross-membership of activists and new party members was infused with a new culture of branch activism, and not simply becoming branch members.
Cope Youth Movement national secretary Malusi Booi said in a statement that it no longer had confidence in the current leadership.
The movement said its mother party had a “dysfunctional” political and organisational structure. – Sapa