POLITICIANS are driven by egotism and greed and not by public interest. There is a similar pattern among politicians and political parties, especially on the African continent.

POLITICIANS are driven by egotism and greed and not by public interest. There is a similar pattern among politicians and political parties, especially on the African continent.

Those who formed Cope said they were alarmed about the undermining of the Constitution, lack of democracy and factionalism when they broke away from the ANC.

A striking feature now in Cope is factionalism, which pits Mbhazima Shilowa's faction against that of Mosiuoa Lekota's. According to a recent court ruling, the Shilowa faction acted un-constitutionally by passing a vote of no confidence against Lekota at an improperly-constituted conference.

It means the actions of the Shilowa faction were undemocratic. There are also allegations that Shilowa embezzled funds.

So how different is Cope from the ANC? They are not ideologically different. Both pursue a capitalist economic system.

On the issue of ideology and breaking away from the ANC, there is a replication in Botswana where recently former members of the governing Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) broke away and formed the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD).

Their reasons for breaking away might be genuine, but ideologically the BMD is no different than the BDP. But just like in this country, where more than a million voters voted for Cope in the last general elections because they are gullible and credulous, the voters in Botswana might vote in large numbers for the BMD and possibly put it in power.

Sam Ditshego, Kagiso