Cope: We haven’t entered into a coalition with SARA

The Congress of the People (Cope) has again distanced itself from the South African Rainbow Alliance (Sara), saying it has no plans to enter into a coalition with the party.

Former Cope members Colleen Makhubele and Ofentse Moalusi were expelled from the party last year after forming Sara.

Cope said at the time it was in talks to join the alliance, but on Tuesday confirmed it would not do so. 

“We have distanced ourselves from the Sara issue. We are not part of Sara. We have not entered into any coalition discussions with anybody.

“We are looking at Cope as an individual party. That does not rule out coalitions. We have weighed our strengths and we are convinced that we want to go into coalition discussions with the strength and capability to negotiate,” said party treasurer Teboho Loate.

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Party leader Mosiuoa Lekota said some members suggested the two parties work together, but this was quickly dismissed because they were “not on the same wavelength”.

“That was the end of Sara (coalition talks),” Lekota said.

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Lekota suggested the party would hold off on coalition negotiations until after the elections.

“It is important to know what the electorate want done, rather than being promised water but getting cholera instead.”

Dumped from Cope for ‘voicing ambitions’

Makhubele told a news conference in November that Cope was meant to be part of the alliance.

“This is an alliance. I was a member of Cope until I was terminated. President Lekota was a president emeritus of this with us, he was here as a member of this alliance. So, nobody has joined any party… So all of those things are lies to tarnish Sara.

“I keep emphasising, because Sara is led by a woman who is capable and is creating a very serious threat to the political landscape of this country. Therefore, all sorts of lies are being spread, not just from within Cope, but outside of Cope,” Makhubele said.

She claimed she was booted from Cope because she had “dared believe” she could lead South Africa.

Additional reporting by Faizel Patel