CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - JUNE 25: Mosiuoa Lekota during the State of the Nation Address (SONA) 2019 debate at the National Assembly on June 25, 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa. Members of Parliament debated President Cyril Ramaphosa’s SONA, where opposition MPs criticized president’s SONA, while fellow ANC MPs defended him. (Photo by Gallo Images/Netwerk24/Jaco Marais)
Congress of the People (Cope) leader Mosiuoa “Terror” Lekota is saying ‘I told you so’ once again.
Lekota was once part of the ANC and formed his own party in 2007 after some members decided to leave during the leadership under former president Jacob Zuma.
Cope spokesperson Dennis Bloem said when the party was formed, they were called all sorts of names such “dogs and cockroaches”.
“We were under vicious attacks from senior leaders of the Tripartite Alliance, branding us a bunch of angry and bitter Thabo Mbeki followers who were angry because Mbeki lost against Jacob Zuma.
“Twelve years down the line, many senior and ordinary members of the ANC, including leaders of the alliance are today acknowledging that we were correct. They could not see what we were seeing at that time.”
The Constitutional Court heard arguments regarding Zuma’s failure to honour a summons for him to appear before the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture on Thursday.
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Zuma said he will serve a term of imprisonment if imposed by the ConCourt. The ConCourt has reserved its judgment.
In turn, Cope says the constitution and judiciary is under great threat by Zuma and “his faction including the Secretary-General of the ANC Ace Magashule.”
They welcomed efforts by struggle veterans, civil society, business leaders and churches who formed a front called Defend Our Democracy, to “protect” the constitution and the judiciary.
“We want to warn the ANC that the thousands of people who fought for this democracy will never allow anyone to take it away from them. We will fight till the last drop of our blood. The people will not allow the ANC factional battles to drag the country with them into a deep dark hole,” the group said
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