The Congress of the People, COPE, has terminated the membership of its councillors, Joburg Council Speaker Colleen Makhubele and Ofentse Moalusi, at the City of Tshwane respectively.
This after the two allegedly joined the recently formed South African Rainbow Alliance, SARA.
According to their twitter account, SARA is a coalition of small parties and religious organisations which will campaign under one banner during next year’s elections.
The coalition is founded by the African Amalgamated Restorative Movement, ICM, COPE, National Freedom Party and Churches.
During its recent meeting, SARA endorsed Makhubele, who is the City of Joburg Speaker, as its candidate president and the campaign face of the coalition.
The decision however was not sanctioned by her party.
“A councillor at the Johannesburg Municipality has her name on the posters and on the polls, media circulation, as a member of SARA. As such, she has terminated her own membership of Congress of the People,” said COPE General Secretary, Eric Mohlapamaswi, who was speaking during the party media briefing in Kempton Park.
Mohlapamaswi said Moalusi has also been expelled from the party.
“Another councillor in Tshwane, a decision has been made that the person is calling himself the chairperson of SARA, and therefore has taken membership of SARA. The constitution of COPE section 19.3 takes effect, meaning that there’s termination of membership of the councillor who is in Tshwane,” added Mohlapamaswi.
COPE has been embroiled in leadership squabbles, with two factions allegedly leading the party.
The party recently fired its deputy president, Willie Madisha, and its spokesperson Dennis Bloem resigned.
COPE President Mosiuoa Lekota says he is not deterred that some senior leaders have left the party.
“They are not married to you for life. In their own mind is a condition, if you don’t do that which satisfies us, we’re going to leave. I’m not surprised at all. People come and go,” said Lekota.
Lekota, who attended SARA’s meeting, said there was no final decision taken to form part of the alliance.
“The party was considering to be part of the alliance, it didn’t give the pair the go ahead. Their decision was against the party’s constitution,” explained Lekota.
Our attempts to get comments from Makhubele and Moalusi failed at the time of going to print.
