/ 21 May 2010

Bruising battle will make or break Cope

Bruising Battle Will Make Or Break Cope

When the Congress of the People (Cope) was formed, we rightly predicted that the crisis of the national liberation movement would continue to deepen. We have witnessed the descent of a once-proud movement into the morass of populism, opportunism, ever-increasing corruption and ideological incoherence.

Only Cope can offer a credible alternative to this abysmal reality.

As the party readies itself for its national congress at the end of the month, both this external challenge and a number of internal ones confront our new party. Born a little over a year ago, it still has not properly consolidated its structures and has been focused on getting to grips with setting up in Parliament and the legislatures. As a result, it goes into a bruising process needing to find solutions that could either make or break the organisation.

One of the most important issues is the fairness of the processes leading up to the congress, in particular the setting up of a credentials system for voting delegates.

What we are asked to believe is that the current membership suggests a congress dominated by two or three provinces. This cannot be good for the party. It is imperative therefore that the audit of branches and membership is a thorough one and that no cooking the books is allowed. In keeping with the newness of the party the emphasis must be on the inclusion, rather than the exclusion, of branches to participate.

The role of interim structures must be clearly defined. Some of these have tended to dominate the party and have marginalised elected structures, such as the Congress National Committee. They have also had too much influence on the nomination processes in the run-up to the congress, which has effectively undermined the role of the most important structures, the democratically elected Cope branches.

Interim structures should have only an observer status at the congress as there can be no motivation for them to vote. Where would these unelected structures get their mandate from?

The leadership debate has unfortunately degenerated into clashing lists of personalities, with little to no discussion on what policies and programmes these would-be leaders stand for, or their performance records. Policy issues should form the bedrock of the party and more should be done to highlight the key policy choices that Cope must make to present itself as a credible alternative government. Local government elections are the next challenge after the congress, so clearly more time should be spent on developing a manifesto and strategy for these important polls.

Areas where Cope must lead the country and give hope are:

  • Creating opportunities for people to earn a living through work or enterprise.
  • Poverty eradication, which must be accelerated so that the basic building blocks of a cohesive society can be put in place. Currently, the focus on grants and the lack of attention to education, skills development and linking poverty eradication to work and enterprise opportunities have created a culture of dependency.
  • The crisis of national, provincial and local government services. This must be addressed. Inappropriate appointments, poor leadership and wasteful practices have created a toxic cocktail that has resulted in politicians and public servants becoming public masters and often exploiters. Most municipalities are either on the verge of bankruptcy or have collapsed.
  • A robust and bold industrial strategy. This is imperative. Our economy has become a net food importer and its manufacturing capacity has declined. The congress must deliberate on this and present an alternative to the country.
  • The importance of national reconciliation. This cannot be overemphasised. Events of the past few weeks have reminded us just how tender the wounds of our past are. Only Cope can unite the people of all races and creeds and congress must suggest a plan to prioritise this.
  • A strategy to fight crime and corruption. This is becoming more significant as the country descends into the abyss caused by the criminal activity of those who claim to represent the revolution to plunder the state coffers. Common criminals have been emboldened by the idea that those with political connections are above the law. The political mafia must be defeated if we are to defeat the scourge of crime and corruption.
  • A vision to unite the people of our country. This has been presented as a theme that we should consider building on in the run-up to the congress. Cope must devise a plan to turn the country around by the year 2020. The new agenda for change and for hope is still alive but a clear vision is what is required to revitalise it.
  • Let us use this congress to strengthen and unite the party. Cope’s time has come and a congress that leads to a greater coherence of the party will ready us for the local government elections in 2011 and the 2014 national elections. A congress that is unrepresentative, that is dominated by one faction in the party or that addresses personalities as leaders will divide the party and may even split it.

    Mosiuoa Lekota is the president of Cope