AS part of its "Come Back Home Campaign" the ANC in the Mopani region has welcomed back three prominent Cope members to its ranks.

The three men were paraded at a press conference held at the party's regional offices in Tzaneen yesterday.

Benny Moshobane, Morgan Lewele and Peter Modike left the ANC more than a year ago to join the breakaway party.

Moshobane, a former chief executive of Kgapane Hospital, was sub-regional chairperson for Cope in the Greater Letaba municipality.

He also served on the regional and provincial committees of the party.

Lewele, currently executive committee member for the De Oaks branch of Cope, was instrumental in the formation of Cope in Maruleng.

He was part of a considerable contingent that defected from the ANC to form Cope in the region.

Peter Modike, a former ANC councillor in the Greater Tzaneen municipality before joining Cope, was a senior member of the Mhlaba branch as well as the Tzaneen sub-region of Cope before he decided to re-join the ruling party.

They were welcomed back into the ranks of the ruling party by the ANC's regional executive committee, includchairperson Joshua Matlou, deputy chairperson David Maake and party secretary Bricks Manzini.

Speaking at the press conference Matlou said the ANC expected to welcome back a mass defection of Cope members because the ANC was their true home.

"We will continue to engage all the people of South Africa to be part of the transformation agenda as led by the ANC," Matlou said.