Congress of the People | |
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President | Mosiuoa Lekota |
Chairperson | Teboho Loate |
Secretary-General | Diratsagae Alfred Kganare |
Spokesperson | vacant |
Deputy President | vacant |
Deputy Secretary General | vacant |
Founders | |
Founded | 16 December 2008 |
Split from | African National Congress |
Headquarters | 34–36 Fricker Road, Illovo, Gauteng |
Student wing | COPE Students Movement |
Youth wing | COPE Youth Movement |
Women's wing | COPE Women's Movement |
Business and Professionals' wing | COPE Business and Professionals |
Ideology | Social democracy Social liberalism Progressivism |
Political position | Centre-left |
National affiliation | Collective for Democracy |
Colours | Yellow Red |
Slogan | Reliable, Accountable, Incorruptible |
National Assembly seats | 0 / 400 |
NCOP seats | 0 / 90 |
Provincial Legislatures | 0 / 430 |
Party flag | |
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Website | |
www | |
The Congress of the People (COPE) is a South African political party formed in 2008 by former members of the African National Congress (ANC).[1] The party was founded by former ANC members Mosiuoa Lekota, Mbhazima Shilowa and Mluleki George to contest the 2009 general election. The party was announced following a national convention held in Sandton on 1 November 2008, and was founded at a congress held in Bloemfontein on 16 December 2008. The name echoes the 1955 Congress of the People at which the Freedom Charter was adopted by the ANC and other parties, a name strongly contested by the ANC in a legal move dismissed by the Pretoria High Court.[2]
In the 2009 general election, the party received 1,311,027 votes and a 7.42% share of the vote. Following the 2009 elections, COPE experienced a leadership dispute between factions supporting Mosiuoa Lekota and others supporting Mbhazima Shilowa,[3] that led to a 2013 court battle,[4] and continued into 2014.[5] After the 2014 election, COPE was left with only three seats in the National Assembly, down from 30 seats in 2009.[6]
Despite its reduced stature, the party has joined with the much larger Democratic Alliance (DA) and several other smaller parties to co-govern Nelson Mandela Bay, Johannesburg and Tshwane after the 2016 municipal elections.
COPE had its worst performance at the 2024 national and provincial elections by garnering a mere 0.09 percent of the votes. The party failed to secure a single seat in parliament as result of this poor performance.[7]
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