“It was inevitable COPE was going to die a natural death.”
These are the words of COPE co-founder and former Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa, who believes the party died a long time ago.
Last week, squabbles within the party played out in public when a fight broke out at a media briefing and party members threw fists and chairs at each other.
Disgruntled members arrived at the briefing and demanded that party leader Mosiuoa Lekota not speak after his suspension.
Speaking on eNCA, Shilowa said the party he co-founded in 2008 died in 2009.
“When I say it died a long time ago is that the minute you don't have structures on the ground, you are not capable of winning and being in provinces.
“The minute COPE could not retain being the official opposition in the six provinces it was in in 2009, it was inevitable that it was going to die a natural death,” said Shilowa.
He said most people had long ago accepted that COPE had died and the remaining party members are fighting over the caucus.
'It was inevitable COPE was going to die a natural death', says Mbhazima Shilowa
Image: Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images
“It was inevitable COPE was going to die a natural death.”
These are the words of COPE co-founder and former Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa, who believes the party died a long time ago.
Last week, squabbles within the party played out in public when a fight broke out at a media briefing and party members threw fists and chairs at each other.
Disgruntled members arrived at the briefing and demanded that party leader Mosiuoa Lekota not speak after his suspension.
Speaking on eNCA, Shilowa said the party he co-founded in 2008 died in 2009.
“When I say it died a long time ago is that the minute you don't have structures on the ground, you are not capable of winning and being in provinces.
“The minute COPE could not retain being the official opposition in the six provinces it was in in 2009, it was inevitable that it was going to die a natural death,” said Shilowa.
He said most people had long ago accepted that COPE had died and the remaining party members are fighting over the caucus.
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Shilowa also told Newzroom Afrika Lekota's age and health issues should not be used a measure to determine whether he is able to lead the party.
Speaking to the media after the brawl, Gauteng COPE acting general secretary Mxolisi Ntombela said: “We are here to say [these] factionalists who have been called here are not the real members of COPE.
“These are the mafias. [They] are the people destroying COPE. It is the [suspended] president [Lekota] who is going around and making parallel structures. We are saying to him he has no right to come here and address COPE.”
Ntombela said Lekota must adhere to COPE's code of conduct and not address members of the party.
Speaking on eNCA, COPE deputy president Willie Madisha apologised to supporters for the fist fight.
“One must apologise to the members of COPE and the people of SA because it was not supposed to be like that. We are talking about a party that has been formed to represent South Africans up to the level of parliament, and for leaders to be seen doing what they did is extremely sad and wrong.”
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