The spokesperson for the Congress of the People (COPE) Dennis Bloem has resigned today from the party with immediate effect. Bloem says leaving the party was not an easy decision for him but that he could not take the factions within the party anymore.
FOUNDING MEMBER
Bloem is one of the key founders of the political party after their exodus from the ANC. Most of the leaders were disgruntled after former President Thabo Mbeki lost during the 2007 ANC elective conference. In a statement released today, Bloem said, "Dear Mr. Lekota, I hereby tender my resignation from the Congress of the People with immediate effect. I wish the party well in its future endeavours," the statement read. Bloem’s exit from the party follows that of another prominent leader of the party and former secretary-general Willie Madisha, who was fired from the party last year June. Responding to Bloem’s resignation, COPE’s national chairperson Teboho Loate said that they had terminated Bloem’s membership. "The purported resignation from Cope by Dennis Bloem is an attempt to pre-empt the impact of his logical fate and to save face. The fact is, his membership was finally terminated by the Congress National Committee (CNC) during its meeting held in Bloemfontein over the past weekend of 19 - 20 August 2023," Loate said.
DISCIPLINARY PROCESS
Loate further said that the decision to terminate Bloem’s membership follows the outcome of a disciplinary process and his failure to explain his "destructive, disruptive, and unconstitutional conduct’ over a period of a year. "Together with the expelled Willie Madisha and Mzwandile Hleko, they engaged in destructive attempts to create unconstitutional parallel structures and imposed themselves in positions of authority for which they were not entitled, authorised nor elected into. It was rather shocking that these three individuals blatantly exposed their lack of understanding of the basics of the COPE constitution and leadership responsibilities. The CNC has now asserted its authority by restoring discipline and order within the party. In due course, COPE will reveal a massive adopted political Programme of Action to place it in a stronger position of growth, impact and sustainability," Loate added.
EXPULSION OF MADISHA AND HLEKO HAD AN INFLUENCE ON HIS DECISION
In an interview with SABC News, Bloem said that the expulsion of deputy-president Willie Madisha and secretary for elections Mzwandile Hleko had a big influence on his decision to leave the party. "Madisha is the founding member of COPE, I cannot sit and accept this type of thing happening to my comrades, that is why I decided to walk away from this party," Bloem said. He added that he informed Nhleko and Madisha about his decision and that they tried to change it. "I told them that we all worked hard to make the party work and all of a sudden they were being expelled, I am not a betrayer, I am out," he said adding that the relationship between him and the party leader, Lekota, was no more. "There is tension between us, I will have a press conference tomorrow where I will give full details and talk more about what really happened at COPE. When Madisha was fired he told party followers that these were all tricks by Lekota to rule forever," he said. Bloem was very vocal last year calling for Lekota to step down as COPE leader because he was old and no longer had the energy to lead the party. Bloem was also supported by the Gauteng province on the call for Lekota to resign.
