Upbeat Shilowa urges unity in COPE

In the first national executive meeting since his disputed election under a tree as party president in Pretoria last month, COPE’s Mbhazima Shilowa has called for unity in the divided party.

Shilowa on Friday addressed a meeting of COPE’s national committee, an executive committee made up of his allies elected after incumbent party president Mosiuoa Lekota and his followers walked out of the party’s chaotic and violent congress last month.

Shilowa’s election is disputed by Lekota and his grouping, who claim he was not elected in a properly constituted meeting and that the pre-congress order remains.

“We must show through our leadership style that we are indeed on a new path, that of unity, cohesion, putting members and voters first and focusing on policy issues and not on personalities,” Shilowa told his executive.

Shilowa promised not to purge his detractors, while he plans a tour of the country to make amends and apologise to COPE supporters for the mess the party finds itself in.

“Our message must be clear: everyone is welcome regardless of the views they held en route to the congress,” he said.

Shilowa, who is facing an internal disciplinary process, does not believe in taking disciplinary action against his detractors either, saying that problems in the party needed political solutions.

“We are aware that based on actions by some of us at various levels, there are calls for disciplinary action.

“Important as this is, it is not a solution to political problems. Our problems are political and must therefore be tackled politically.

“We must, however, accept that we have yet to move from the starting blocks in so far as our campaign is concerned and that we are way behind, having spent time focused internally instead of on the voters and their challenges,” Shilowa told his executive.

Meanwhile, Lekota’s faction will meet only next Saturday after it was initially expected they would meet today.

In a statement, party spokesman and Lekota ally Phillip Dexter said the meeting would deal with, among other things, disciplinary action to be taken against members who had constituted themselves as a breakaway from the party, attempts to steal COPE’s name and logo, Shilowa’s disciplinary process and also members who had begun discussions to join or rejoin other political parties.