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...