COPE president Mosiuoa Lekota has been suspended from the party amid allegations that he played a role in dividing the organization.
It is also alleged that he lacks the energy and the strength to lead the party.
Lekota was suspended on Monday after a meeting of Cope’s congress national committee (CNC) on Sunday.
COPE deputy president Willie Madisha made the announcement at a media briefing in Kempton Park on Monday.
COPE spokesperson Denis Bloem said Lekota has been placed on precautionary suspension, not only for sowing divisions, but also for alleged corruption and promoting the removal of elected leaders.
“He promotes and supports actions against which COPE was formed, those actions include corruption, removal of elected leaders and representatives such as councillors.”
“The COPE national leadership advised him on several occasions that given his lack of energy and strength to lead the party at the moment, he must step back. Although he agreed on all those occasions, he did not do so.”
“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.”
Some reasons for Lekota’s suspension include:
- the role he plays in dividing COPE;
- frequent meetings he convenes to form parallel structures in COPE, which are made to organise and compete against each other instead of building and uniting the party;
- promoting actions against which COPE was formed, which include corruption and the removal of elected leaders and representatives such as councillors; and
- frail health conditions which make him unable to perform and attend to the work of parliament.
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