Outgoing leader of Congress of the People (Cope) Mosiuoa Lekota said he was following the prescripts of the party’s constitution when he announced his retirement but stressed that he is not leaving the party and will stay on for any role the party might need him for.

Speaking exclusively to Polity, Lekota said Cope’s constitution prescribed that a leader can only stay on for two terms.

“So, in essence, I'm respecting the constitution. But it doesn't say you must resign from the organisation and go. Most people, I think, think that they must go away so that they don't get instructions from their juniors, but I don't mind that. I’ll be able to continue to do the work of the party as a member. And I have completed my two terms. And it's time that I respect the provisions of the constitution,” he said.

The party will hold its national congress after the May 29 elections to elect its new leader.

COALITIONS AND THE ANC

Despite recent leadership turbulence in the party, Lekota said he was optimistic about Cope’s future after the elections, adding that the party was “pleasantly surprised” to see many people leave the ranks of the African National Congress (ANC) to join Cope.

He spoke of the ‘nine wasted years’ of State capture corruption under the ANC government and said Cope had a track record that proved the party was incorruptible.

“We never stole public funds. And if we didn't steal public funds, what would make us now change? When we have we not only warned about [corruption], but we refused to steal public funds. And everywhere you put us, we are accountable. We will account, we will tell you this is what we did with our money. So if we have had a record of failing the people we would understand, but we think South Africans can give us a chance and check whether we will betray the commitment of years in jail, in exile and all of that. And the commitment we sustained through all of these years since we came to freedom. It's for the people to judge,” Lekota said.

He also noted that the party would be open to coalitions with any party that swears to honour South Africa’s Constitution.

He said there must be an agreement between parties about what the focus areas were to help citizens, but warned that if there were any parties that “want to favour their friends, such as the African National Congress does”, they will not be considered for a coalition with Cope.

When pushed on whether Cope would consider the ANC as a coalition partner if it gave a commitment to no corruption, Lekota said Cope could commit to this scenario.

“But they cannot go on committing corruption, protecting their friends who are corrupt, including the leaders of their own party who are corrupt, who have been pointed out by Chief Justice [Raymond] Zondo in the [State Capture] Commission [of Inquiry] and so on. Frankly, to do that is corruption of the first order,” he said.

He said his view was that there were nine wasted years under the ANC government, which he stated the ANC had itself admitted. He said promises were made to voters but nothing was delivered.

“And you can see the state in which the country is in. There's no electricity, there's no water, communities are in tatters, schools, there's no hospitals. Patients are laying on the floor. So it is the ANC that has passed that judgment on itself. And I can say that, if you look at the record of the Congress of the People, you will not find that at any time, there was any one of the leaders of our party who was caught stealing public funds, who have done all this damage, which has been done. But now, you know, we have leaders that put the money in their pillows, putting it in the sofas, and all of that,” he said.

He said the ANC had caused “terrible setbacks” to the country and pointed out that people accused of corruption were still on the ANC’s Parliamentary lists.

He blamed the ANC for driving essential skills out of the country and said South Africa was initially in a position to drive manufacturing and local development.

“And in fact, by selling, pushing out some of these businesses, companies, State-owned enterprises, we’re actually throwing away what black and white sweated to build for this country. It's a sad story. And they [ANC] still say, vote for us. After nine wasted years, vote for us,” Lekota said.

COPE’S VISION

Cope wants to reduce the size of government to ensure more resources reach the people that need it.

Lekota also said many fields of education and training were closed to black, coloured and Indian people in the past and Cope hoped to now increase the number of women and men able to train in crucial skills.

He suggested opening up military training to achieve this.

“Why military training? Because it is in that area of the military, that all the skills are available. You want to build cars, you want to build roads, whatever you want to do is available in the military. So we can direct resources there… for the training and education of the citizens of our country, especially this section of the population who were prohibited from studying in the fields that were exclusive preserve for the white sections of the population [during apartheid],” he stated.