Questions over a 'new' Cope

THE SUSPENSION of Congress of the People co-founder Mbhazima Shilowa by the party's former leadership structure on Saturday has raised questions over whether a new party was formed.

Shilowa's spokesperson, Sipho Ngwema, said yesterday co-founder Mosiuoa Lekota was being investigated by them because his faction might constitute a new political party.

"The office of general secretary Nikwe Num will investigate whether or not the newly constituted structure, as announced, does not constitute a new political party," Ngwema said.

Num is a aligned to Shilowa.

"Cope would like to point out that Lekota is no longer a member of Cope's national committee nor is he a president," said Ngwema.

The investigation would also decide whether Lekota should be removed as Cope's leader in Parliament, he said.

Internal squabbles within Cope reached boiling point yesterday, a day after the Lekota faction suspended Shilowa and others. Ngwema said the suspension meant nothing to Shilowa because the meeting was not officially sanctioned.

"Yesterday's meeting was a gathering of friends, who occasionally like to tickle each other's fancy by claiming that they have authority or standing in the organisation.

"The gathering of people are supporters of Mosiuoa Lekota and that meeting was not an official meeting of the party," Ngwema said.

Lekota's spokesperson, Phillip Dexter, said the meeting in Kempton Park on Saturday was a sitting of Cope's national committee. The Shilowa faction was "being childish" by not accepting the suspensions. "The only people who can sanction a CNC is the CNC itself."

He warned that if Shilowa and his faction ignored the suspensions, they would have to face the consequences.