By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
@GalloImages.
The Congress of the People (COPE) has launched its 2024 election manifesto in Hammanskraal, North of Pretoria on Saturday afternoon.
The party had to postpone the launch of its manifesto that was scheduled to take place on Saturday, 23 March, to avoid a disaster.
This after the party cited reasons relating to space as one of the concerns.
The launch was supposed to be held at Suurman Community Hall in Hammanskraal, Tshwane, but it was indicated that the centre could only accommodate 2 000 people and they expected their supporters to come in numbers.
The party was established 2008 by disgruntled members of the ANC who supported former president Thabo Mbeki, who was defeated by his successor former president Jacob Zuma at the party’s 52nd national conference in Polokwane.
However, since then its support dwindled over the years with infighting for power.
The founding president Mosiuoa Lekota has been hogging power since its inception after a fallout with his co-founder Mbhazima Shilowa who was expelled from the party after an internal hearing found him guilty of mismanaging parliamentary funds.
Lekota said they were attracted to the idea of Hammanskraal because the people from this area supported the party.
He has called on the people of Hammanskraal to vote for his party and promised to address their challenges.
“We came here because we knew that the people here have been dying of cholera. There’s no water for the people of Hammanskral. Why is there no water? What happens to the money? When we say vote we want you to choose somebody who will go there and take your money and create good conditions for the people.”
He said his party is ready to lead South Africans in the fight against crime.
“The people of South Africa must defend themselves with equal force; unlike under the apartheid system, we are not going to reintroduce forced conscription but voluntary military conscription.
“If there are people coming into the country armed with weapons with the intention to kill our people, we will respond with force.
“We will train and arm the children of this country to defend themselves against those who come here to kill and slaughter our people,” he said.
Lekota added, he is confident that the party will be making inroads across the country and will secure more seats in Parliament.
The party currently occupies two seats in Parliament that includes one taken by Lekota and the other by its chairperson Teboho Loate.