The new political initiative, the Congress of the People (COPE), on Wednesday announced its Free State leaders who would co-ordinate matters in the interim until the party's launch on 16 December.

Free State COPE convenor Mzwandile Hleko said the new party's launch would be at the University of the Free State from 14 to 16 December.

"We've booked a venue already."

Hleko could not say how many people would attend the launch of the new party in Bloemfontein.

"We are still busy forming structures and would be informed about it (number of delegates) at a later stage."

Free State co-organiser for COPE Papi Kganare said the province would have an indication by next week of its support.

Kganare, a former Free State MEC of education, said roughly the party already had about 60 000 names.

"What we want to make very clear, these people are not a block from the ANC," he said.

Kganare said most of these were individuals that have indicated they would to be part of the new party.

Others on the provincial co-ordinating committee are Mahlomola Ralebese, former speaker at the Mangaung Local Municipality, Reenen Stenekamp from a Bloemfontein law firm, Kelebogile Mkhonza a business woman from Bloemfontein and Seatile Mofonedi a former ANC Women's League member from Thabo Mofutsanyane.

Hleko said regional co-ordinators in the Motheo (Bloemfontein), Lejweleputsoa (western and north Free State), Fezile Dabi (northern Free State), Thabo Mofutsanyane (eastern Free State) and Xhariep regions were also appointed.

Amongst them was Mann Oelrich, former Free State MEC of agriculture.

"We have arrived, and the political power games of the ruling party must end," Hleko said.

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