After parting ways with the Congress of the People (Cope), its former national spokesperson Dennis Bloem said he will not be joining any political party because none of them are “furthering the aims and the beliefs of the people”.
“Why I am not going to join any political party, in the first place, I don’t see any political party here and now that is furthering the aims and the beliefs of the people.
“You know an organisation like the United Democratic Front (UDF) in the 80s was such a party that was rooted in the ground amongst the people. Today these political parties are only for themselves.
“They don’t care about the voter. You see what is going on with the local government, that is why there is instability because it is me or you. I am giving you the mayoral position you support me. I am giving you the speaker’s position. I support you. The politicians have forgotten the people.
“The reason why the United Democratic Front was so strong is because the UDF was a grass root organisation. That is… I am saying not a single party now here attracts me to join them,” he added.
Bloem resigned from the party on Friday with “immediate effect” saying he was angered by decisions taken by the party’s “unconstitutional structure” to remove party members.
“This whole expulsion of Ntate Hleko. They started first with the suspensions and we said that this decision was taken by an unconstitutional structure. Because Ntate (Mosiuoa) Lekota took seventeen people to Maselspoort in August last year to have a meeting there and In that meeting they decided that Madisha, Bloem and Hleko must be suspended,” said Bloem.
“They issued court papers (but) up until today that case is dead. So I am answering this, it is an unconstitutional structure that is taking this decision. That is why we don’t respect and don’t recognise this unconstitutional structure,” he added.
Cope expelled Willie Madisha as deputy president and Mzwandile Hleko as its elections secretary.
According to Bloem, the axing of Madisha and Hleko was one of the reasons he dumped the party because these were its founding members.
“To make things worse, Mr Madisha was removed last week as a Member of Parliament and replaced by Teboho Loate.
“The second reason is the removal of the National Treasurer, Theo Godden, as a signatory on all COPE bank accounts. Mr Lekota replaced him with his friends as one of the bank signatories.
“Connected to that is the removal of the National Secretary for Elections, Mr Hleko as the duly authorised member at the IEC. He was also replaced with one of Mr Lekota’s friends,” he added.
Lekota could not be reached for comment.
