Supporters hold pctures of the former defence minister Terror Lekota and former Gauteng premier Mbazima Shilowa at the South African National convention on 1 November, 2008 held in the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. AFP
Can South Africans pin their hopes for a new Madiba on his grandson Mandla Mandela?
Scoping out Cope
Article By:
Rebekah Kendal
Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:56
What do the daughter of ANC stalwarts, an MP embroiled in the Travelgate scandal and the anti-Malema have in common?
They're all backing Shikota.
In fact, they are all members of Cope's 'steering committee'. We look beyond the faces of Terror Lekota and Mbhazima Shilowa at a party in the making.
Mluleki George
Position: treasurer.
ANC connection: chaired the ANC in East London from 1996 to 1999 and the Amathole Region from 2005 to 2008.
Mbeki camp: yes.
Role in government: deputy minister of defence from 2004 to 2008.
Education: passed seven courses of a B.Com degree at Rhodes University and six courses of a BA at Unisa.
Struggle cred: arrested in 1978 and sentenced to five years imprisonment at Robben Island.
Charlotte
Lobe
Position: secretary.
ANC connection: a member of the ANC NEC and a former ANC Free State secretary, she was also the spokesperson for the ANC Woman's League.
Mbeki camp: yes
Role in government: Lobe became the youngest national MP at the age of 30.
Struggled cred: she became politically active when she was imprisoned for graffiti at her school at the age of 14.
Scandals: Lobe was one of the MPs involved in the Travelgate scandal.
Kiki Rwexana
Position: senior convenor, women.
ANC connection: former deputy secretary general of the ANC Woman's League and the parliamentary chairperson of the ANC Women's caucus.
Mbeki camp: neutral
Role in government: Rwexana became the first sitting
ANC MP to resign from the party and parliament to join Cope.
Education: BA in Social Work and a Development Diploma from the University of the Western Cape.
Lyndall Shope-Mafole
Position: senior convenor, finance and fundraising.
ANC connection: voted onto the ANC NEC at Polokwane and appointed to chair the ANC's sub-committee on political education and ideological work.
Mbeki camp: yes
Role in government: Director General of the Department of Communication (since 2004). Previously the chair of the Presidential National Commission on Information, Society and Development.
Education: Master of Science from the Jose Antonio Echeverria Higher Institute of Technology in Cuba.
Struggle cred: the daughter of ANC stalwart Gertrude Shope, Shope-Mafole has ANC
pedigree.
Anele Mda
Position: senior convenor, youth
ANC connection: previously an executive committee member of the ANC Youth League.
Mbeki camp: neutral
Role in government: none
Work experience: currently working for the Eastern Cape Youth Commission, Mda started her own HIV/Aids information centre at the age of 17. Socially-minded, she has already founded two NGOs to address the needs of young women in the Eastern Cape — Growing Girls Group and Creative Young Women.
Hilda Ndude
Position: senior convenor, business
ANC connection: worked for the UDF and was involved in the underground structure of the ANC while it was banned. Later served as an ANC MPL in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament.
Mbeki camp:
neutral
Role in government: none
Work experience: Ndude is the managing director of Dyambu Holdings, a women's empowerment group. She is also the chairperson and driving force behind the Black Business Woman Association.
Controversial attitude: she believes that a time limit should be imposed on BEE.
Willie Madisha
Position: senior convenor, labour
ANC connection: former president of Cosatu (1999 to 2008), Madisha was an important figure in the tripartite alliance before he was ousted over a controversy involving a R500 000 donation to the SACP.
Mbeki camp: yes
Role in government: none
Education: studied teaching at the Transvaal College of Education.
Mlungisi Hlongwane
Position: senior
convenor, civic
ANC connection: member of the ANC
Mbeki camp: yes
Role in government: Mayor of the Sedibeng Municipality, south of Johannesburg.
Work experience: Hlongwane was the president of the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) from 1997 until he was expelled after he resigned from the ANC. Although Sanco is supposed to be a neutral organisation, they have expressed backing for Jacob Zuma's ANC. Hlongwane is also a director of Sakhisizwe Holdings, which owns a commercial property portfolio across the country.
Education: Diploma in Electrical Telecommunications.
Scandals: Hlongwane has come under criticism for his involvement in business ventures as a civil servant. The are also some unanswered questions about Sanco's involvement in the Arms Deal.
Other ANC 'big name'
defectors: Smuts Ngonyama, Leonard Ramatlakane, Phillip Dexter and Mbulelo Ncedana.
What do you think of Cope's 'steering committee'? Share your thoughts below...