Alfred Moselakgomo

Alfred Moselakgomo

Cope's Mpumalanga chairman Sizile Ndlovu may have been sworn in as MPL in the provincial legislature, but his party says he does not represent it.

The party is angry at Ndlovu's defiant move to take the seat despite an earlier agreement that it would go to the party's premier candidate, Prudence Madonsela.

Ndlovu is on top of the Cope legislature list while Madonsela is number two.

The fight over the only seat that Cope secured in the general elections came to light following Ndlovu's nomination to represent the party in the legislature.

Cope's spokesperson John Nkuna told Sowetan the party had agreed that Madonsela would be the one representing the party in the legislature.

"But we were surprised that he went on and defied our decision," said Nkuna.

"We had agreed, together with our bosses nationally, that Ndlovu would withdraw from the race and make way for Madonsela but he refused to sign the withdrawal form," he said.

Ndlovu was sworn in as an MPL in the legislature on Wednesday.

Now the Cope youth in the province has written a letter to the party's head office, requesting intervention.

They are demanding that Ndlovu be disciplined for bringing the party into disrepute and want him and Madonsela and Ndlovu to be suspended with immediate effect pending the outcome of the investigation.

In the letter, the youth accused Ndlovu of being "an ANC agent who was planted to destroy our beloved movement from within." defiant

"If Ndlovu thinks that we are going to take this lying down, he's got another think coming," said Nkuna.

Phillip Dexter, Cope's national spokesperson, confirmed that the party had agreed that Madonsela be the one representing the party in the legislature and they were discussing the way forward.

Ndlovu was not available for comment.