Cope refutes claims that senior ANC leaders, including Mbeki, behind party formation

Political party the Congress of the People (Cope) refuted claims that former President Thabo Mbeki was among senior African National Congress (ANC) leaders who were behind the formation of the party.

According to a report in The Sowetan, this comes after political commentator JJ Tabane alleged in an interview ANC leaders including Mbeki, Tito Mboweni, Trevor Manuel, and Kgalema Motlanthe and Enoch Godongwana were responsible for the formation of Cope in the lead-up to the 2009 elections.

ANC national executive committee member and tourism minister Lindiwe Sisulu has since asked President Cyril Ramaphosa to investigate allegations that senior party leaders were behind the formation of Cope.

Cope has since hit back at the claims. National Spokesperson Dennis Bloem says it wants to set the record straight on the formation of the party.

“The allegations reported in the media that former President Thabo Mbeki was a member or advisor of Cope are nothing else but malice. Those allegations are far from the truth. We want to put it categorically clear that former President Mbeki was never a member or an advisor of Cope.”

“It is further alleged Mr Trevor Manual, Mr Tito Mboweni and the Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana were also involved in the formation Cope, and funded the Party in the background.”

“This is all utter nonsense. If people want to campaign for top positions, let them find other better ways than spread malicious rumours,” Bloem said.

Bloem said it was not a secret that Mbeki’s late mother, Epainette Nomaka Mbeki, was a card-carrying member of Congress of the People (Cope) after she resigned from the ANC.

“She was a very proud member of Cope.  We urge all those who make these wild and unfounded allegations to come to the fore with proof.”

The claims of the ANC’s top officials being involved in the formation of Cope have also led to a Twitter spat between Mboweni and former Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) spokesperson Carl Niehaus.

Mboweni said he was tired of Niehaus’s rants.

However, Niehaus hit back with his own tweet.

“If I were you, I would rather worry about Cde Lindiwe Sisulu’s letter to President Ramaphosa, inter alia about your role in the formation of Cope. I’m not abusing the ANC. I express concern about the ANC’s future. But I don’t expect you to understand the difference.”

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