Lekota claims Shilowa owes Cope R4 million

Cope president Mosioua Lekota alleged on Monday in an interview with Bongi Gwala on SAfm that former Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa still owed his party R4 million. Among other things, callers kept asking Lekota what led to Shilowa’s exit from the party and if it affected their relationship.

Lekota said his history with Shilowa was “unpleasant” after they turned to the courts to determine who was the rightful president of the party.

“In the end, the court ruled I was the legitimate president of Cope,” said Lekota.

He said he did not know where Shilowa was and what he was doing, further alleging he still owed his party after losing the case.

“He still owes us money by the way. After he lost the case, he had to pay R4 million. He then pleaded poverty, we couldn’t find him anywhere. We put special investigators to find him and his properties, there was nothing we could find. He still owes us money. Four million gone,” he said.

Responding to the allegations on social media, Shilowa said Lekota had been talking about the R4 million since 2010 and was yet to go to the police or court in a bid to get it back. Shilowa said Lekota knew the party’s former treasurer Hilda Ndude was responsible for the missing funds.

“I have come to accept that it is the pain of losing MPs after we left,” said Shilowa.

He has been saying so since 2010 with @phillipdexter They never went to police or court. The person who they know stole their money, Thor friend Hilda Ndude, they took to court and she got house arrest. I have come to accept that it is the pain of losing MPs after we left

— Mbhazima Shilowa (@Enghumbhini) January 21, 2019

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