Africa-Press – South-Africa. The political infighting affecting the Congress of the People (Cope) has intensified, with a court application against key party members the latest development in the drama.
The national chairperson of Cope, Teboho Loate, filed a court application at the High Court in Johannesburg on behalf of the party, to seek confirmation with regard to the suspension of Willie Madisha, Dennis Bloem and Mzwandile Hleko.
Madisha is also Cope’s deputy president; Bloem is the secretary of communications, and Hleko is the secretary of elections.
He further seeks an interdict to be issued, which bars Hleko, Bloem and Madisha from entering Cope’s premises in Kempton Park and acting on behalf of the party.
Loate wants the interdict to run until the conclusion of the disciplinary process against the three.
The court application was filed on Thursday.
The political power struggle played out in public in August amid a series of press briefings by opposing factions.
Madisha held a briefing on 29 August, claiming that Cope’s president, Mosiuoa Lekota, had been suspended by the party’s committee.
The Cope founding member said Lekota had been a divisive leader and held parallel meetings.
Lekota was also accused of being absent as a leader.
Later, on 29 August, Lekota held a separate briefing, in which he disputed his suspension. He denied being absent from the party and said those opposing his control were “divisive”.
Loate seems to side with Lekota, who filed a supporting affidavit with the court application.
In the court papers filed, Loate said Madisha had no legal standing to suspend Lekota – because he had been suspended at the time.
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