Cope leaders meet to take stock

2009-07-10 12:49

Johannesburg - The national leadership of the Congress of the People gathered at its headquarters on Friday to tackle the problems facing the fledgling party.

The meeting follows the resignation this week of the party's second deputy president, Lynda Odendaal, and its head of elections, Simon Grindrod.

The party's leadership has been less then forthcoming about Odendaal's reason for quitting, but she told the Beeld newspaper in an interview published on Friday that she felt cheated and viewed the party as a fraud.

She said she told the party's first deputy president, Mbhazima Shilowa, that he was the problem in the organisation, and accused him of manipulation.

The party has long denied that there is a leadership tussle between Shilowa and its president, Terror Lekota.

However, a leaked memorandum by Grindrod laid bare the leadership problems facing the party.

In the document Grindrod described the party as racked by "divisions and undemocratic principles".

Odendaal said Lekota had strong leadership qualities, but there were people under him who were "weak and opportunistic".

She also viewed the party's leadership in Parliament as inexperienced and unprofessional.

"I can't lie to South Africa and I can't lie to myself. I think people [who voted for Cope] will feel the way I do. I feel cheated," she told Beeld.

She said the Cope she joined no longer existed.

- SAPA