Following an article published in the Herald on 23 August titled DA and ANC members join Cope, the West Rand District Municipality spokesperson Dennis Mangope has fired back at allegations in his personal capacity as a member of the ANC.
This comes after boasts by Randfontein Cope leader Solly May and Cope West Rand Region Organizer Nicodemus Phake, that ANC and DA members at the Randfontein Local Muncipality and within the West Rand District Municipality have jumped ship and joined Cope.
They alleged that their new members are afraid to disclose their departure from their respective parties publicly for fear of being victimized.
This was received by much unease from local ANC members who have been calling in at the Herald to dispute these claims.
According to Mangope, both May and Phake need to prove their allegations and not make baseless statements. .
“I want to contest the allegations of ANC members joining cope.
“As far as the ANC is concerned, we operate and manage our organizational affairs and political processes through proper structures in the form of branches.
“Our members join at a specific branch and are also subjected to resign at that level.
“As far as I am aware, no ANC member in Randfontein have joined Cope or any other organization,” says Mangope.
He adds that local ANC branches are still in tact.
“Hundreds of people whose membership has expired at the ANC are currently renewing their membership with the ruling party.
“I therefore challenge Cope to prove their claims to the electorate.
“I want them to reveal those who they claimed have jumped ship from our organization to theirs,” says Mangope.
According to Cope West Rand Region Organizer Nicodemus Phake, Mangope is trying to get media attention.
“I don’t know why Mangope has to be worried about this.
“I am more than willing to disclose the names of those who have jumped ship from the ANC.
“If he needs the information, like everybody else, he must come to me and not the other way around,” says Phake.
