'Cope is like a prickly pear'

2009-01-10 18:05

Umlazi - Congress of the People (Cope) president Mosiuoa "Terror" Lekota on Saturday likened his party to a prickly pear saying wherever they are thrown, they would emerge stronger.

"If you take the leaf of the prickly pear, there where the leaf lands it develops roots and grows, and after a while people will eat from the pear," he told hundreds of supporters in Umlazi. "The reason why Cope will go anywhere and everywhere is because we are like the prickly pear...Everywhere we land, we will grow there."

Lekota's detailed description was in response to eThekwini municipal officials allegedly denying Cope access into venues to hold meetings.

He said Saturday's (today's) event was meant to take place at the Gleblands in Umlazi, where Cope had around 16 000 members. The venue was initially agreed to by city manager Mike Sutcliffe but later allegedly refused to allow them access to the venue.

"We were compelled to change the venue," said Lekota. He said it was not the first time and that on other occasions eThekwini officials had changed venues for Cope meetings.

"They may make attempts to shift our meetings from one place to another, but wherever they send us in KZN, we will grow." "I hope they will throw us to Pietermaritzburg, to Vryheid, to Greytown, to Port Shepstone...because wherever they throw us we will grow," he said.

Lekota also announced the resignation of Lucky Gabela from the ANC, as he joins Cope as part of the KwaZulu-Natal leadership. Gabela served on many portfolios and was the former Durban South regional secretary for the ANC.

- SAPA