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ZIWAPHI • VOL 4 NO 9 • 7 - 13 May 2010

The leader of the COPE in Mpumalanga province, John Nkuna has finally thrown the political towel in exchange for the church.

Nkuna announced his “resignation from politics” in a brief five paragraph media release yesterday.

“After a careful analysis of my own life, experience and the environment which shape and guide me politically and otherwise, I have realised that there is a serious cognizable dichotomy between my spiritual and political interests,” he said.

Nkuna, a once respected member of the ANC’s military wing, followed in the footsteps of Terror Lekota and Mbazima Shilowa in a political exodus from the ANC to form COPE in 2008.

He has a reputation of being pragmatic even under the most emotional circumstances confessed to Marcus Khuzwayo, a former journalist of Ziwaphi in 2009 that he had never thought that one day he would be addressed by Hellen Zille of the Democratic Alliance.

“I was listening to her with the interest to hear whether COPE was correct to say the democracy and the constitution was under threat. But really, before I could not see myself being addressed by Helen Zille, but as we move forward I thought it was necessary for all the parties to make their voices heard,” he said at the time.

This sort of pragmatism was also demonstrated recently when COPE in Mpumalanga province was seemingly involved in an internal power struggle following the arrest of fellow party member Murrel Zitha and provincial COPE Youth chairperson Sibusiso Shakwane for theft of a lap top computer.

This was after the organisation’s regional secretary, Bheki Malaza had opened a theft case against the two. The case was later withdrawn when Malaza did not turn up to testify in court. It later emerged that the lap top computer had been given to the police to assist them in their investigation against James Nkambule, the organisation’s regional secretary.

While everyone else was issuing radical statements, Nkuna showed level-headedness. He described their arrest as unfortunate and an “internal misunderstanding”.

“The computer in question was not stolen. Shakwane gave it to the police after they requested it as part of their investigation against James. Maybe the comrade who opened the theft case was just trying to settle some personal scores,” said Nkuna at the time.

Last month, COPE in Mpumalanga resolved that it’s only Member of the Provincial Legislature, Zale Madonsela be recalled from the legislature and be replaced by Provincial Secretary, Buks Mahlangu.

Recently, COPE has been rocked infighting which almost wrote the political obituary of its founder, Terror Lekota.

Nkuna was not available for comment if the infighting has played any role in his decision to resign from COPE.