This article is from the daily dispatch website:www.dispatch.co.za Battle for Cope posts heats up
2009/02/09 THERE is trouble brewing in paradise for breakaway Congress of the People (Cope) following problems and conflicts that almost led to the calling off of the Amathole regional list conference held in Butterworth last week . Cope was formed last year with much fanfare after its founders left the conflict- ridden African National Congress (ANC), claiming that it had lost its way, but now it seems the breakaway party has fallen in the familiar trap of infighting and backstabbing that has characterised the ANC. The battle at the regional conference was caused by complaints from delegates that the party’s interim leadership was not “consultative”, after it recommended that certain individuals be on the list for the national and provincial legislature, and: Several branches had not been given the guidelines that would have helped them to nominate leaders; Branches had not given delegates a mandate, and they were also not properly selected; Former ANC members were allegedly favoured and non-former ANC members overlooked for leadership positions; and Some delegates were not happy with the nomination of people who had just defected to the party. Delegates also accused the party of becoming a “family dynasty of the Nkuhlus”, following the nomination of Professor Wiseman Nkuhlu as Cope’s candidate for the post of premier – he is the uncle of the party’s provincial chairperson, Andile Nkuhlu. Wayne Posthumus led the Buffalo City sub-region faction that called for the conference to come to a halt when they could not reach consensus on the names and number of nominees per sub-region. The battle for posts in Cope has begun, and reports from various delegates who were present during the closed session said “this fighting is going to get ugly”. There was an open revolt from the regions against the proposed draft list, which mainly featured the interim leaders – regional chairperson Thabo Matiwane, Sam Kwelita, Siphatho Handi and Thabo Mdila. Matiwane addressed delegates, pleading with then not to allow personal ambitions to divide the organisation. “We must reject this anti-new members approach. We must also reject things that are going to divide us as an organisation,” he said. The conference had to break for a caucus session and new names had to be nominated from the various sub-regions. Most of the interim regional leaders did not make it on to the list. The 23 names nominated from the Amathole District include Mnquma’s Mbulelo Ntenjwa and Maduna Mabona; Mbashe’s Mthobele Mthongana; Ama- hlathi’s Moses Qomoyi; Nosimo Balindlela; Buffalo City’s Zimisele Sam and Great Kei’s Mike Basophu. Meanwhile, reports of a squabble over who will be the face of the party have emerged, with one group supporting the party’s president Mosiuoa Lekota, and another preferring his first deputy, Mbhazima Shilowa. The party’s youth wing leader is said to be facing the axe for allegedly lobbying for Shilowa to be the face of their electoral campaign, to the displeasure of Lekota. - By MSIMELELO NJWABANE, Political Reporter ------------------------------------------- South Africas premier free email service - www.webmail.co.za ------------------------------------------------------------------ For super low premiums, click here http://home.webmail.co.za/dd.pwm --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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] . -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
