Africa-Press – South-Africa. The Congress of the People (Cope) has terminated the membership of its deputy president and one of its two MPs, Willie Madisha.
Cope’s secretary-general, Eric Mohlapamaswi, said the decision to axe Madisha and Mzwandile Nhleko, its secretary for elections, was taken at the party’s national committee meeting on Sunday.
He added the decision to remove Madisha and Nhleko was unanimous and taken in terms of article 25(3)(V) of the party’s constitution.
Mohlapamaswi said Madisha would lose his parliamentary seat.
He added:
“These processes included formal correspondences, attempts at mediation and legal action to reign in their recalcitrant behaviour that have brought the party into disrepute.”
Mohlapamaswi said Madisha and Nhleko’s “unauthorised actions” include convening unconstitutional meetings and conferences, abusing party resources, and acting as imposters in positions which were not approved by the congress national committee.
Cope factionalism
A factional battle centred around Cope president Mosiuoa Lekota and Madisha peaked in August last year when they announced the suspension of each other from the party.
Madisha accused Lekota of “lacking strength” to lead the party amid his ill-health.
“Given his health conditions, he is not able to perform what the party and all South Africans expect him to do, which is to attend to the work of Parliament,” he said.
However, Lekota dismissed Madisha’s statement and said his deputy had no authority to suspend him.
He maintained he was still fit enough to work.
Cope’s national chairperson, Teboho Loate, described Madisha as “ambitious, desperate, irrational” and threatened he and Nhleko were going to “bear the consequences” for their actions.
On Sunday, Mohlapamaswi said the party would immediately proceed to fill the vacancies “that have arisen from its decision to remove the two individuals as members of the party”.
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