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COPE 'Mbeki's idea' Moffet Mofokeng, City Press, Johannesburg, 7 December 2008-12-07 . Ex-president 'issues mandates' to new party. A senior ANC leader has, for the first time, publicly alleged that former president Thabo Mbeki is the mastermind behind the Congress of the People (COPE). Fikile Mbalula, a former ANC Youth League president and now a member of the ANC national working committee, said that COPE leader Mluleki George, who served aqs deputy defence minister in Mbeki's administration, told a meeting in the Eastern Cape in mid-October that they had Mbeki's full backing. George is now a member of COPE's national steering committee. "When he (George) announced their intention to form a political party after the sacking of the president, he said in that meeting that they had the backing of Mbeki and that they had met with him not once, not twice, but thrice," Mbalula said. "It was a week before the big Wednesday, the press conference called by Terror Lekota at which he announced his intention to hold a convention. George announced that they had the full support of Mbeki. "He (Mbeki) has not vehemently announced his displeasure or his being against it. On a daily basis, people go to Mbeki's house to seek a fresh mandate," Mbalula added. Most of the former ANC leaders who have now joined COPE have publicly confirmed that they had discussions with Mbeki before their departure, but would not divulge the contents of their talks. Former Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa was reported to have spent hours with Mbeki before he quit the ANC while Smuts Ngonyama, the former head of the ANC presidency, also confirmed talking to Mbeki prior to his exit. Mbeki's spokesperson Mukoni Rantshitanga maintained that the former president has repeatedly and publicly said that he remains a member of the ANC. "Therefore, there is no need to continue attempts to drag him into battles that have nothing to do with him," he said. Even though the ANC has said it accepted that Mbeki did not support COPE, this is the first time a senior member has publicly claimed that Mbeki is behind COPE. But George denied having said COPE has Mbeki's full support. " The problem with Mbalula is that he is becoming a habitual liar. He goes around Amathole telling people that councillors have not left. I would like the ANC to come to this province and check how many members of the ruling party are still there," George said. He said he was "sick and tired" of "these people" who, in their moment of desperation, tried to drag Mbeki into their battles. But Zola Xego, an ANC chairperson of the Nokhanime Thomas branch in Buffalo City, said she attended George's meeting. "Mululeki said Mbeki told them they could go ahead and form a new party and we would join them later," said Xego. The ANC removed Mbeki as the country's president in September. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [EMAIL PROTECTED] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [EMAIL PROTECTED] . -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
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