Cope faction expels 7 members
2011-03-19 18:01
Johannesburg - A faction in the Congress of the People,
aligned to party president Mosiuoa Lekota, said on Saturday it had expelled
seven of its senior members for bringing the party into disrepute.
Cope MP Phillip Dexter said
the decision to immediately expel Mluleki George, Nikiwe Num, Zale Madonsela,
Ebrahim Sawant, Archie Ralo, Sam Kwelitha, Mbulelo Ncedane, Mampi
Ramotsamai-Kotsi and Clara Motau was made by the party's congress national
committee (CNC) in Johannesburg on Saturday.
"Among the charges they
were found guilty of were - bringing the party into disrepute, holding an
unconstitutional gathering of some individuals and attempting to pass this off
as a Cope meeting, impersonating the leadership of the party and interfering in
the accreditation process of the congress," Dexter said.
He said the CNC agreed that
these "serious charges" warranted such action.
Dexter said the parliamentary
seat left vacant after the expulsion of Cope deputy leader Mbhazima Shilowa
would be filled by Graham McIntosh, "an experienced politician who has
served as an MP before".
The meeting also resolved to
recover the funds spent on legal cases from those who have been ordered to pay
these to the party by the court, he said.
'Sham'
Lekota's faction expelled
Shilowa from the party in February for serious misconduct and financial
improprieties.
Shilowa has consistently
denied his guilt and refused to participate in the disciplinary hearings.
A statement from the Shilowa
faction said the "so-called" expulsions were a sham and that its
leaders were the legitimate leaders of the organisation.
The matter, it said would be
heard by the Western Cape High court on Tuesday.
"The purported expulsion
is a contemptuous attempt to subvert the court matter that was brought by the
leaders Lekota claims to have expelled," the statement said.
"We will resist the
attempt by Lekota to postpone the resolution of leadership dispute
indefinitely," the statement said.
- SAPA
