By Annisa Essack
30:08:2022

The Congress of the People is in serious trouble as internal divisions and in-fighting spell their early end.

Yesterday, party Deputy President Willie Madisha announced that it had suspended President Mosiuoa Lekota. A few hours later, Lekota and national chairperson Teboho Loate announced that they had suspended Madisha, spokesperson Dennis Bloem and secretary for elections Mzwandile Hleko.

The party has become the laughingstock of South African politics as the Twitterverse responded to the announcements.

Theo Venter spoke to Radio Islam International this morning and said he has no idea who is right and gave a retrospective view of the issues the party has been facing since its inception.

“This is the early end of COPE. A small party cannot survive these kinds of challenges,” Venter said.

After yesterday’s tumultuous events, Venter added, “COPE is now a small, leaderless party that is looking towards the end of its existence.”

Looking at the party’s leadership, Venter says that Mosiuoa Lekota had a stable national profile within South African politics. Still, he says support for the party has dwindled even after some financial input with the change in the funding model and the party’s involvement in the broad coalition debate among the opposition parties. But Venter was optimistic about the party’s future, saying they would also lose that.

Regarding Willie Madisha, Venter says that he possesses leadership skills but does not have the national profile of Lekota.

He also compared the PAC and their challenges to COPE, especially the internal disputes due to the limited resources or lack of good leadership.

In looking at the role of Mangosuthu Buthelezi as a leader, Venter says, “big parties exist despite leadership; your smaller parties exist due to leadership.”  Smaller parties, he says, are aligned with their leaders, who are more significant than the party itself.

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