Cope chairperson Terror Lekota called on the new party on Sunday to nurture a non-racial political culture and set an example by breaking into the Afrikaans folk song "Suikerbossie".

"We must all enjoy each other," Lekota said in Afrikaans after a pitch-perfect rendition of the song's opening lines.

"We must bring in elements of other cultures. We will not understand each other if we just go on with the old habits. So we cannot just sing in seSotho, sometimes we must sing in Afrikaans as well."

He also pleaded with Cope members to sing the verses of "Die Stem" that have been included in South Africa's post-apartheid national anthem.

"It is a beautiful country. When we sing "waar die kranse antwoord gee," we feel this and it motivates us," he said.

Neels Flatten, a prominent Cope member from the Western Cape, said if the party's launch would help to make South Africa a truly non-racial democracy.

"If this works, we will do a great thing for South Africa, which is take race out of South African politics."

Sapa