Mosiuoa Lekota suspended for ‘lack of energy and strength to lead’ Cope

Cope president Mosiuoa “Terror” Lekota has been suspended from the role because he allegedly lacks energy and strength to steer the ship forward.

He was suspended on Monday after a meeting of Cope’s congress national committee (CNC) on Sunday.

During his suspension, he will be subjected to a disciplinary hearing, the outcome of which could seal his political fate as the leader of the ANC splinter party. 

Lekota, according to Cope deputy president Willy Madisha, has been asked on several occasions to rest, given his “lack of energy and strength”.

“Though he agreed on all those occasions he did not do so.”

The CNC has also mandated the party’s central executive committee to discuss with Lekota “the work you do in parliament on behalf of the party”. 

Further alleged reasons for Lekota’s suspension include:

• the role he plays in dividing Cope;
• frequent meetings he convenes to form parallel structures in Cope, which are made to organise and compete against each other instead of building and uniting the party;
• promoting actions against which Cope was formed, which include corruption and the removal of elected leaders and representatives such as councillors; and
• frail health conditions which make him unable to perform and attend to the work of parliament.

Later on Monday, another faction came out in defence of Lekota, saying he remains very much at the helm of the troubled ANC offspring.

According to Cope national chair Teboho Loate, the announcement of Lekota’s suspension is “hallucinations” by a group of three, led by Madisha.

“The president of Cope, comrade Mosiuoa Lekota, remains active and competent to lead the party and serve as its leader in parliament. He has the confidence and full support of the CNC as reaffirmed by the meeting of August 20,” said Loate.

“Any hallucinations by Willie Madisha and his clique must be dismissed with contempt. The facts of the matter are that a clique of only three leaders in the congress national committee (CNC) has been engaged in conduct that is unconstitutional, ambitious and irrational for some time.”

At a properly and constitutionally convened meeting of the CNC held on August 20, it was resolved to suspend with immediate effect the three (including Dennis Bloem and Mzwandile Hleko) pending compliance with the code of conduct and disciplinary procedures of the party.

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