'Better quality men and women'
2008-12-16 21:15
Bloemfontein - People may think Cope is a minority party but it has "better quality men and women", Cope president Mosioua "Terror" Lekota said on Tuesday at the party's election rally in Bloemfontein.
"We must continue to speak to people the way we do, by respect and humility... and we will win people to our movement."
The 60-year-old Lekota said he was confident that Cope's voters would continue to increase and that by election day, the party would have more than enough.
"Even if the ANC calls an early election, we will show them that we are ready and if they want a late election, then we will have more time to win the hearts of other people." he said.
"Now it's time to for us to organise, organise, organise... go to the villages, speak to the people. Let them know about us, what we are about."
Cope 'had arrived'
Addressing a 6 000 strong crowd, Lekota said Cope "had arrived".
"The days of different race groups sharpening their weapons against each other are over.
"Never again will one race group oppress another and never again will the history of conflict haunt our people."
He explained that black and white will be equal and enjoy the same freedoms.
Choosing Bloemfontein as the city to hold the Cope rally was not "by accident," said Lekota.
He said the "city of roses" had special meaning in South African history and that December 16 was a significant day.
"December 16 represents the beginning of confrontations between black and white people. It was a day of sadness when people sharpened their weapons against each other.
Birth of Cope
"We chose this day for the birth of Cope as a living gesture to keep peace among our people," he said.
Urging people to "now" close the chapters of war and conflict, Lekota said it was time to declare December 16 Cope's day of peace and national reconciliation.
He asked the crowd to gather every year on this day "in our determination to change the lives of all our people... who must lead decent lives. We will do this.
"We will not sing of war but of peace. We will not talk of our differences but our common traits."
He asked Cope members not to follow those "singing of war and hatred. We will only sing about love. We will sing about negotiated solutions because Cope is an organisation of peace."
- SAPA