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ZIWAPHI • VOL 4 NO 8 • 23 April - 6 May 2010

NELSPRUIT

Theft charges against two members of COPE in Mpumalanga were withdrawn on Wednesday in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court because of a lack of evidence.

Murrel Zitha and provincial COPE Youth Movement chairperson Sibusiso Shakwane were arrested on April 3 after they removed a laptop from the party’s constituency office in Nelspruit without permission.

They gave the laptop, which was used by regional chairperson James Nkambule, to the police crime prevention unit that is investigating charges against him of defeating the ends of the justice and conspiracy to commit fraud. 

The charges against Zitha and Shakwane were laid by Ehlanzeni regional secretary Bheki Malaza.

“The person who opened the case against us failed to come to court and the prosecutor decided to withdraw the case. This was just a waste of the justice system’s time. This guy knew he had no case against us - maybe that is the reason he couldn’t even bother coming to court,” said Shakwane afterwards.

A senior COPE delegation, which will be led by parliamentary leader Mvume Dandala and national organiser Mluleki George, are expected in Nelspruit on Sunday to meet with the party’s provincial leadership, which has been beset by infighting.

Issues on the agenda will include the recall of COPE’s only member in the provincial legislature, Zale Madonsela (pictured), which was announced by provincial secretary Buks Mahlangu last Thursday.

Mahlangu said the meeting was “just a formality” to ratify Madonsela’s recall.

“We decided to recall comrade Zale from the legislature because she failed to account to the party about funds given to it by the legislature. She also opened a bank account on behalf of the organisation without authority from the leadership. We are confident that the national leadership will endorse our decision to recall her,” he said.

However, national spokesperson Phillip Dexter indicated that Madonsela’s recall was not necessarily a done deal. _“The congress working committee met in Johannesburg on Monday and it was resolved that the national leadership will meet on Sunday with the province to hear the reasons for the proposed recall of Madonsela,” he said.

The provincial secretary of the COPE Youth Movement, Willem Mokoena, said it would “defend Madonsela to the bitter end”.

“One wonders who will benefit if Madonsela is recalled. In terms of COPE’s list at the Independent Electoral Commission, Buks is next after comrade Madonsela. Is it coincidence that he is the one pushing for her to be recalled?” said Mokoena.

Provincial chairperson Ben Mokoena said Mahlangu was indeed next on the list to represent the party in the legislature, but that it had nothing to do with Madonsela’s recall.

“We are just not happy with the way she represents the party in the legislature. She acts as an island and fails to report back to us about activities of the legislature,” he said.

Neither Madonsela nor Malaza could be reached for comment on Wednesday.