Suspended Cope member off to court

In what is expected to open a can of worms on collusion between an ANC-deployed Ekurhuleni city manager, a renegade Congress of the People (Cope) member and the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), a plan to get rid of a legitimately appointed Cope councillor, is to become subject of a court challenge.

Cope councillor Ndzipo Khalipa, also a member of the mayoral committee (MMC) for infrastructure, is launching an urgent interdict, contrary to claims made to the IEC by Ekurhuleni city manager Dr Imogen Mashazi, that Khalipa was suspended by his party.

Cope has come out to disprove the assertions as untrue.

Mashazi last week took a unilateral decision – not discussed by the mayoral committee – to suspend Khalipa, after convincing an IEC official that Khalipa was suspended by Cope – an action condemned by opposition parties in the regional coalition government.

The interdict stated the replacement of the Cope councillor would have “irreparable harm” on the basis that:

• The Cope national congress committee (NCC) – the party’s highest decision-making body – was being deliberately undermined by non-Cope officials.
• The unlawful act undermined the electoral support Cope generated and the privilege to serve its voters and residents of Ekurhuleni.
• The action would allow for a precedence, where lawfully elected public representatives could be removed by “bogus individuals and structures”.
• The decision to suspend Khalipa frustrated service delivery plans of Cope through its councillor.
• Deliberately brings Cope into disrepute, causing reputational harm and instability in the party.

A letter dated 28 June from Ekurhuleni Cope regional chair Muhammed Khan to IEC regional manager Ali Magabane, confirmed Khalipa “remains the bona fide representative of Cope in the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality’s coalition government, for the term for 2021 to 2026 period”.

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Cope spokesperson Dennis Bloem said the party was “very happy and impressed with the work” of Khalipa.

“He is really representing the voters and Cope very well.”

In a memorandum yesterday to the Cope national committee, regional leaders called for:

• The immediate expulsion and criminal charges be preferred against them a renegade group said to be led by Thomas Mofokeng.
• Criminal, fraud and corruption charges be laid against the IEC and Mashazi.
• The unconstitutional so-called Cope provincial structure be immediately dissolved.

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