Congress of the People president Mosiuoa Lekota seems to be losing his grip on power as more provinces back his deputy Mbhazima Shilowa to take the reins at a party conference in five weeks’ time.
Of Cope spokespeople in seven provinces interviewed by the Mail & Guardian this week, four — in Gauteng, the Eastern Cape, Limpopo and the North West — as well as the Cope Youth Movement, expressed support for Shilowa. Cope holds its first elective conference at the end of May.
Leading the charge against Lekota’s presidency is the Eastern Cape, Gauteng and the youth movement, which blame him for Cope’s loss of support after last year’s election. The party is the third-largest in the National Assembly, but has struggled to maintain its public profile.
The Eastern Cape chairperson of the party’s interim leadership, Andile Nkuhlu, said his province believed Lekota should give way to a new leader. “There are different leaders for different occasions. The demands of the day require a different leader.”
He said that if the party failed to convince the public that it was politically relevant, voters would find an alternative.
“We are not the ordained choice — we have to be relevant. The current leader is not capable of taking us to that level.”
The youth movement’s national secretary, Malusi Booi, said Shilowa had shown “humility and accessibility” when he presented his plans for the party to the youth wing last week — a presentation that Lekota snubbed.
“We told him [Lekota] we do not appreciate the fact that he undermined us in this way,” said Booi, after Lekota failed to honour another attempt by the youth movement to meet him.
Other blunders that are likely to cost Lekota the top seat, his detractors say, are that he:
- Failed to build branches as mandated by the party after last year’s elections;
- Could not articulate the party’s black economic empowerment and affirmative action positions;
- Was a divisive leader; and
- Was a bad loser who habitually sided with the disgruntled and disaffected.
Booi also alluded to Lekota’s “divisive” leadership style, saying that he allowed his supporters to print T-shirts carrying an image of his face and a “100% Lekota” slogan. “That is against the resolutions of the Bloemfontein conference.”
Squabbles between Shilowa and Lekota have prompted some to propose a compromise candidate to unify the party. Former South African deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka’s name was mentioned, but she is understood to have made it clear to the congress national committee that she is not available for a leadership position. Mlambo-Ngcuka is studying and running her Mlambo Foundation, which helps empower school principals.
But leaders of Cope’s provincial bodies are considering creating a national chairperson’s post that would include Lekota in the leadership.
Gauteng chairperson John Ngcebetsha said that although the party’s constitution did not provide for a chairperson, effective lobbying could result in its creation. “Members feel that they need him [Lekota] to play a role in the national leadership in some capacity. He has been in that position before and he has experience,” Ngcebetsha said.
Lekota was the ANC’s national chairperson until 2007.
But the M&G has learned that Lekota was approached on the issue and is unwilling to settle for anything less than the presidency.
Nkuhlu said Cope would always acknowledge Lekota’s bravery in leading the breakaway from the ANC, but cautioned that his serving of divorce papers did not make him the party’s “ordained leader”.
The youth movement also supports the plan to make Lekota national chairperson. “At least with this position he will not be the face of the organisation,” said one youth leader.
Although the North West and Limpopo have yet to finalise their regional conferences, Shilowa is clearly their favoured candidate.
North West leader Nikiwe Num said the general feeling was that Shilowa should be nominated for the presidency.
Limpopo’s condition for supporting Shilowa is that Lekota should be part of the national leadership. Chairperson Sello Moloto said: “No one should be left out. If there were mistakes in Cope both of them should be held liable. Any leadership that is going to emerge excluding Lekota or Shilowa will result in a divided Cope.”
The Northern Cape and the Western Cape are still auditing branches and have not yet decided who to nominate.