A meeting meant to heal divisions in COPE ended in disarray as members again accused each of being ''anarchists".

According to notes taken at the COPE national committee meeting in Johannesburg at the weekend, obtained by The Times, COPE president Mosiuoa Lekota accused some senior members of the party of being ''liars and crooks''.

But COPE spokesman Phillip Dexter said the notes obtained by The Times were ''fabricated notes aimed at destroying the organisation.

Lekota is said to have asked party members at the meeting whether COPE was still united following months of leadership battles that have led to several court cases.

According to the notes, Lekota lashed out at his deputy, Mbhazima Shilowa, without naming him.

He is said to have accused him of being a "liar": ''... why do we consider ourselves to be one? Some lied and said we are with you and emerged to be acting presidents and deputy presidents.

''Men and women who cannot give their word and live up to it. We are not one, we do not believe in the same things. Some are crooks amongst us because they are capable of giving their word and renege against those words,'' Lekota reportedly said.

Mluleki George, who has had a number of differences with Lekota, is said to have challenged the COPE president at the meeting.

''The language used by the president, it is not correct for anyone to call others 'crooks', and [we] should be careful of what we are saying.''

George said that if the opportunity to unite the party did not exist it should not be discussed.

Dexter said the meeting dealt with issues facing the organisation and that the fabrication of notes of the meeting was not helping the organisation.

''The question that must be asked is who is behind these so-called notes,'' he said.

But two senior COPE members who attended the meeting have confirmed the authenticity of the notes to The Times.

They accused Dexter of trying ''at all costs" to protect Lekota.

''What we need is honesty and the will to rebuild the organisation," they said.