COPE manifesto launch 2019: Five main talking points

The Congress of the People (COPE), led by Mosiuoa ‘Terror’ Lekota, launched it’s 2019 election manifesto in East London on Saturday.

Proceedings got off to a slow and stumbling start at the Oriental Theatre, as busses transporting supporters to the launch were delayed. While those in attendance danced and sang with fervour, the large gaps in the pews typified COPE’s ailing political appeal. The turnout to the manifesto launch, especially in the beginning, was dismal.

It’s been a particularly tumultuous decade for COPE – no political party has gained and lost so much support in such a short space of time. Founded in 2008 by former African National Congress (ANC) members Lekota, Mbhazima Shilowa and Mluleki George – in the wake of former president Thabo Mbeki’s contentious resignation – COPE’s prospects looked promising.

Factional infighting within the ANC, epitomized by the power struggle between Jacob Zuma and Mbeki, left many members feeling disillusioned. A mass exodus ensued, with COPE capitilising on the discontentment. Indeed, the general election held in 2009 proved to be meteoric for the newly-formed party. In under a year, it had managed to attract more than a million active supporters, earning 7.42% of the national vote, placing third on the political pecking order.

These impressive gains were not to last. In a strange twist of fate, infighting between Lekota and Shilowa soon drove a wedge between COPE and its supporters. Lekota expelled Shilowa from the party in 2011 – ever since then, the party has been on a steady downward spiral.

In the 2014 general election, COPE only managed to secure 0.67% of the national vote, losing 90% of the support it had enjoyed five years prior. In the 2016 municipal election, the party’s support dwindled further to a dismal 0.48%.

COPE manifesto launch 2019

Still, COPE’s best chance at revival, or at least some semblance of political relevance, rests on the back of this year’s ballot box. The 2019 general election comes at a time of fierce political upheaval. Early indications, presented by independent surveys, show a drop in support for the ANC and meagre gains for the official opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA). This trend, personified by bureaucratic failings of the larger parties, is likely to see an upswell of support for minority parties like COPE.

COPE has also done well to align itself with minority rights groups, like AfriForum, through its rejection of expropriation of land without compensation and other ANC-endorsed moves for nationalisation. Lekota, as the face of the party, has become a staunch ally of disenchanted white voters who have lost faith in the DA.

While it’s unlikely COPE will ever see a massive resurgence – back to the glory days of 2009 – enough votes this year could place the party in the favourable position of provincial kingmakers.

COPE will change electoral laws

COPE’s fundamental gripe with current governance structures is the ‘flawed’ proportional representation (PR) system, which Lekota says has created a dubious disconnect between the public and public officials.

This division, explained Lekota, is the root of South Africa’s socioeconomic conundrum, whereby elected officials, whose duty it is to serve the best interests of the public, end up serving their own selfish interests once elected to a position of power.

The problem, Lekota says, is that this dereliction of duty goes unpunished. Building on the Private Members Bill, which states that Members of Parliament and of Provincial Legislatures should be directly elected by South African citizens, Lekota elaborated on COPE’s style of governance:

“The government of the Congress of the People will make sure that our electoral laws are aligned more closely to the Constitution in order for the direct election of the president, premieres and mayors of towns and cities to take place.

To allow for individuals to contest national and provincial elections. In other words, we are saying that political power will be put back in your own hands – that you choose who you want to send to parliament. If they do not perform as you want, you may recall them and elect others.

Power to the people.”

Lekota promises to terrorise corrupt politicians

Lekota is known for his fierce stance on corruption – his expulsion of Shilowa concerned the mismanagement of parliamentary funds. During his address to the East London crowd on Saturday, Lekota reiterated that government corruption and state capture was a blight on all South Africans. Pointing to recent scandals, namely BOSASA, Lekota explained that an in-depth review of the public service system was necessary to stem the infection of corruption. Pointing to his COPE t-shirt, Lekota said:

“If we send someone to government, wearing this t-shirt or this emblem, we send them because we believe they are going to do what we are saying. If they do the opposite, we will bring them to you [the public] and say, ‘this one, this one is one of those scoundrels that promised you and us that he’s going to work, now we’ve discovered that this scoundrel has been messing up.’

When we [COPE] starts to clean ranks, I promise you, you will have clean government.”

Business taxes to fund education for all

While careful not hop on the bandwagon of free education, Lekota emphasised the importance of accessible learning for all children in South Africa. The COPE leader explained that poverty was not a synonym for stupidity and that many ‘geniuses living in shacks’ were simply not afforded the opportunity to flourish. Lekota explained COPE’s policy of inclusive education, saying:

“We are going to ask the business sectors of our country to allow us to add additional tax ringfenced for the education of children. We want your children to go to school, to learn the skills, and then take advantage of building this country and make it the land of dreams.”

‘South Africa can cope without coal’

Speaking on the energy crisis currently gripping the country, Lekota argued that South Africa’s reliance on antiquated coal fired power stations needs to be resigned to the past. Endorsing renewable energy sources – solar power in particular – Lekota said:

“The fire of tomorrow you will get from the sun, and you will cook from it, you will eat, and you will live much better – easier. Leave the coal – get [energy] from the sun.”

Social grants no excuse to sit around

It’s public knowledge that an estimated 17 million South Africans rely on social grants as a means of survival. During his manifesto address, Lekota said that while COPE endorsed the social grants system, it bemoaned the laziness and lack of self-worth born out of the welfare scheme. Lekota explained COPE’s solution:

“We are not going to give you money [while] you’re sitting at home every day doing nothing. We must give you jobs [and] we must give you money, because when you work you develop self-respect and dignity.”