The war between Lekota and Shilowa forced the Congress Working Committee emergency meeting last night to cancel the May 29 Cope conference altogether. Speaking at an emergency press briefing at noon today the party’s embattled secretary-general, Charlotte Lobe, said: “We can’t go to conference in this state. These guys must sort themselves before we go to any conference lest we experience Polokwane 2 and experience another spilt of this movement.”
Meanwhile Smuts Ngonyama has reportedly resigned over the failure to convene the Cope policy conference, stating huge commitments at the Thabo Mbeki Foundation and Elephant Consortium. After much consultation and considering Lindiwe Sisulu’s advice to “go back to church”, Dandala has requested a sabbatical to consider his future. He was seen last week at a meeting of ministers in Khayelitsha, where he was reportedly preparing Methodist ministers for Easter services in what many believe is a trial run for his imminent return to the church.
Cope staff this week will face a wonderful Easter after Cope’s treasurers unilaterally increased their salaries following revelations last week that most of Cope’s debts had been paid. Finally, in a twist of irony, it has been leaked by the Mail & Guardian that former Cope deputy president Lynda Ordenadal has been deployed by Cope to spy on the ANC and there is panic in the ANC that since her arrival, elections documents have been disappearing in drips and drabs and one ANC insider has confessed that “she has shown a suspiciously high appetite to be in strategic committees”.
Issued by JJ Tabane, Ex-Cope Spokesperson Geleshewe Kimberly.
funny haha a political party dat admits d truth?
Why does Shilowa not just accept Lekota as the president of COPE? Alternatively, why does Lekota not accept Shilowa as the president of COPE?
Forward with COPE, forward! Backwards to Polokwane COPE, backwards!
This sounds like a movie… Hahahaha…
Sad that this really does look now a sorry story.
Reasonably enough, many people have even less understanding and experience of the demands of opposition than of government. Did Mr Dandala and others really think the fight was as good as won and that SA would have the proper opposition and alternative government it desperately needs to offer SA voters after just one year and one election?
Fierce conviction, energy, drive and above all commitment are required to build a great political party.
The strength of the National Party of yesteryear was more to do with the in-fighting amongst the opposition groups than it was about anything else. As long as the Zulu’s were fighting the Xhosas and any other group that came by there was no cohesion. Once the ANC was big enough and could speak with one voice for so many people, the Nats had to fold.
“United we stand, divided we fall”. COPE needs to learn that it is not about personal power, it is all about a united stand. Nothing will happen as long as people seek for themselves and not for the people. The opposition fragmentation is the strenght of the ANC.
Nice 1st April article Mr. I looks like the others missed the humour and took you seriously unfortunately.
The more things change. The more they stay the same. The Jokes on us ordinary citizens. Ja ne.
Truth told on an April Fool’s tone.But most is true.
An excellent April Fool’s bit on Cope, Onkgopotse.
You nearly had me there, but you went a bit over the top at the end.
Thanks for the light relief that God knows we need!
COPE must merely grind-on and settle their “settleable” squables…once they can do that they can implement their superior strategies against the inept ruling party – plainly, the ANC oligarchs taught them a few bad lessons in power struggling and this they need to move beyond…afterall, they’re human one supposes, and ‘OLD HABITS DIE HARD!”…i would suggest that with the likes of intellectuals such as JJ in the broader picture, they need to perhaps consider a new and younger face for this organisation. At this juncture, they need to map a path forward with disenchated ANC members, DA, Holomisa etc – people are so tired of ANC hoodwinking that even if they merely build their campaign on “we are not ANC” (similarly to the ANC who merely draw votes via issues of race without any meaningful policy standpoint), they can become a potent opposition.
he-he, this is quite revealing…or was it a slip of the pen?
…”These guys must sort themselves before we go to any conference lest we experience Polokwane 2 and experience another spilt (sic) of this movement.”
“Another” spilt (sic) of “this” movement? COPE has already been [split] since it was formed, or is this tacit acknowledgement of the fact that the umbilical cord remains unbroken?
On the positive side and, assuming that you still work for COPE, this is a rather brave article, JJ!! Congratulations!
April Fool?
JJ it’s fantastic that COPE can laugh at itself instead of the other parties that take themselves so seriously.
Ver smart Onkgopotse. Very smart indeed. Now April Folls will read and interprete as is…
Lol…However you’d be force to defend it again as it is more likely to be a joke when it happens.
After this April fool pieced, the depression among COPE supporters would have worsened after realising that the jokes about about their leadership are in actual fact highly probable given its short dizzy history.
The reality is that the media promoted them but cannot sustain their existence.
@ Tabane
Very funny.
Sadly it is not far from the truth. As is the best satire I guess?
If ANC think they have a spy in the office, “Why can’t they fire her?”.
Every congress has it’s own delemas and I understand that COPE will one day cope with their problems and they will become the most powerfull opposition party to THE RULLING PARTY.
Thanks to all of you both who took this seriously and those who saw it for what it is – truth disguised as hunour or a straight forward joke…..Hope you enjoyed your April Fool! SA LAUGH AT YOURSELF.