The Congress of the People has 428 000 paid-up members and that could swell to half a million by the start of its inaugural conference at the weekend, Cope general secretary Charlotte Lobe said on Tuesday.

"We have a membership total of 428 000 and by the end of the week it is possible that that will be 500 000," she told a media briefing.

The Eastern Cape is clearly the breakaway party's stronghold with 160 000 members, followed by the Free State with 74 000 and the Western Cape with 60 000, Lobe said.

Cope counted 30 000 members in both the Northern Cape and Limpopo province, 24 000 in Gauteng, 25 000 in North West, 15 000 in Mpumalanga and 10 000 in KwaZulu-Natal, she said.

Lobe confirmed that the figures had not been subjected to an audit, but said the party had counted only those followers who had completed registration forms properly and paid the annual membership fee of R30.

"There was a membership verification process," she said.

Asked why the party was not contesting by-elections in Gauteng, she said it had decided to stand only in those regions where it believed it had a chance of success.

"We will contest by-elections in areas where we have particular strengths."

Lobe said the ANC's election drive in the Eastern Cape showed that the ruling party was feeling the heat from Cope in the province.

"We welcome the fact that they realise they are now in trouble in the Eastern Cape."

Cope on Tuesday unveiled its preliminary policy framework a week ahead of the party's formal launch in Bloemfontein.

The draft manifesto focuses on encouraging economic growth and employment, giving South Africans better social security and stepping up the fight against crime and HIV/Aids.

Sapa