Dennis Bloem resigns from Cope over ‘wrong’ things in the divided party

Former Cope national spokesperson Dennis Bloem resigns from the party. Pictures: ANA

Former Cope national spokesperson Dennis Bloem resigns from the party. Pictures: ANA

Published Aug 25, 2023

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Former Cope national spokesperson Dennis Bloem has resigned from the party.

Bloem said he will not stand by when there were so many wrong things happening in Cope.

Cope has in the last few months been involved in factional battles involving leader Mosiuoa Lekota and his deputy Willie Madisha.

But Madisha was expelled from Cope a few months ago.

Bloem on Friday accused Lekota and his allies of illegally removing Madisha from Parliament.

But he said Madisha was challenging this decision in court.

Bloem, who has been the spokesperson of Cope for many years, said he would not fold his arms while there were wrong things happening in the party.

“I cannot sit and keep quiet when wrong things are happening in the party. I am having a press conference tomorrow and I will explain what is happening,” said Bloem.

He added that although he has left Cope, he would not be lost to the political scene.

“I am not disappearing from the political scene because we must save this country from what is happening now. But I am not going to form my own party,” said Bloem.

Cope has over the last few years lost support. When it was formed in 2008 it got 30 seats in Parliament in the 2009 elections.

But factional battles led to the loss of more support when its electoral support dropped further in the 2014 elections when it only got three seats.

In the 2019 elections, Cope only managed to get two seats, one for Lekota and the other one for Madisha.

siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za

Politics