By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
A brawl broke out during a live briefing held by the Congress of the People (Cope) on Wednesday in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg.
This incident is on the cusp after the party’s national committee suspended the party’s president, Mosiuoa “Terror” Lekota, with immediate effect.
A group of angry Cope members stormed the press conference accusing Lekota of being factional and defying the CNC’s decision to suspend him.
The Cope members also claimed that Lekota and his supporters had prevented them from attending the briefing.
[BREAKING NEWS] COPE members physically attack each other during their media briefing.
Tune into #Newzroom405 for more details. pic.twitter.com/5ZfRYu4nXS
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) August 31, 2022
The divisions within Cope this week quickly escalated into a series of back-to-back suspensions.
This after Cope’s national chairperson Teboho Loate announced that Lekota remained the party’s leader and had the “confidence and full support” of the CNC.
The CNC is Cope’s highest decision-making body in between congresses.
Loate said the decision to suspend Lekota was a “hasty and desperate attempt” by the party’s deputy president Willie Madisha, secretary for elections Mzwandile Hleko and national spokesperson Dennis Bloem.
The trio, who held a media briefing on Monday announcing Lekota’s suspension, were apparently suspended from Cope during a meeting held on 20 August 2022, in the Free State.
Earlier before Lekota’s briefing was disrupted, he claimed that he remained the president of Cope and would continue serving as the party’s leader until his term ended next year.
Lekota said the congress national committee was the only legitimate structure of Cope that had the authority to suspend him.