COPE Party Exits Parliament Over ANC Failure to Act Against Zuma

The Congress of the People, under former ANC leader Mosiuoa Lekota, has withdrawn from parliamentary activities following the African National Congress’s refusal to take action against President Jacob Zuma. In announcing this, the party also took a swipe at Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The Constitutional Court ruled unanimously on 31 March that Zuma had failed to defend, respect and uphold the constitution. During the impeachment debate in parliament last week, Lekota gave a stirring speech in support of the constitution and against Zuma, saying, “We paid too much for the constitution of this country. We paid with the best years of our lives in the prisons of this country…”

The party only has three seats in parliament – reduced from 30 after the 2014 election, following internal fighting in its ranks – and some on social media joked that COPE’s dissent would not be noticed in parliament. 

In its statement released on Monday, the party said, “Congress of the People is determined not to make itself guilty through participation in activities that are in contempt of court. To this end COPE‚ working with other like-minded opposition parties‚ will approach the ConCourt to seek clarity on the way forward.

“Secondly‚ Congress of the People has noted with shock the declaration by Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa that church leaders should not meddle in politics but that they should pray for government and government leaders.

“Congress of the People places it on record that we reject this misguided statement by the Deputy President demeaning religious leaders with the contempt that it deserves‚”

“We recall with deep gratitude those religious leaders who in the course of the struggle stood courageously by the oppressed people in the fight to overthrow apartheid. We remember how they rejected out of hand calls by leaders of the Apartheid regime not to stray into politics.

“These outstanding religious leaders included the following who are no longer with us: Rev Motlalepule Chabaku‚ Rev Trevor Huddleston‚ Dr Beyers Naude‚ Archbishop Dennis Hurley‚ Rev Mkotgo‚ Imam Abdullah Haron and Sister Bernard Ncube. Amongst those who are still amongst the living are: Archbishop Desmond Tutu‚ Dr Alan Boesak‚ Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa‚ Rev Frank Chikane‚ Rev Malusi Mpuhlawana‚ and many others.

“It may be that Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa slept through those years of the struggle when these men and women in the religious establishment stood up in opposition to Apartheid and spoke out against its evil.”