COPE president is locked out of office

COPE president Mosiuoa Lekota's troubles are far from over - senior party members have decided that he will not be allowed into his Braamfontein, Johannesburg office this morning.

It is expected that the vote of no confidence in him, passed on Friday, will be followed later this week by his expulsion from the party he helped establish.

Lekota, who is expected to report for duty this morning, will find access to his office denied.

The lock-out follows a chaotic conference at the weekend that resulted in Lekota and his deputy president, Mbhazima Shilowa, addressing two factions.

Pro-Shilowa delegates passed a vote of no confidence in Lekota on Friday after he obtained a court interdict stopping the congress from electing new leaders.

The Times has established from senior leaders aligned to Shilowa, that Lekota's office will remain locked until his party membership has been clarified.

"We have no choice but to act to protect the organisation. He cannot come to our headquarters until there is a resolution about his membership. The central national committee will decide his fate this week," said a senior official, who sits on the committee, the party's highest decision-making body.

But other members said a proper decision had to be taken before a lock-out could be implemented.

Sipho Ngwema, a senior COPE member, said a decision to lock Lekota out had not been taken and that the president must first face a disciplinary hearing.

Yesterday, COPE leaders said the court ruling obtained by Lekota did not nullify decisions taken by delegates at the weekend.