Cope would consider forming coalitions with any political party except the ANC, the party's presidential candidate Mvume Dandala said in Durban on Friday.

?We will consider forming coalitions after the elections and the African National Congress will not be first on the list. We will not form coalitions with the ANC,? he told a media briefing.

This was at the start of his first campaign trail in KwaZulu-Natal, the province where political pundits predicted his party would struggle to woo people to its fold.

?We strongly believe that Cope will be a significant kingmaker in coalitions that we will form. That is if we do not win a certain province or in national,? said Dandala.

Explaining why his party would not consider forming a coalition with the ANC, Dandala said the ruling party lacked the will to tackle corruption in government.

South Africa was increasingly becoming a country that accepted corruption, he said.

Dandala warned that South Africa would soon find itself in serious chaos like its neighbour Zimbabwe if people continued to vote for the ruling party.

?It took Zimbabwe only 20 years for the wheels in that country to come off.

"If we are feeling despondent, if we see signs of the times where the deterioration of our country paints a bleak picture for the future of our children, we do not have the luxury of another five years to correct things and get our country back on track,? said Dandala.

He blamed the ANC for creating no-go zones for other parties after the Durban University of Technology apparently refused Cope access to the institution.

?It is unacceptable when institutions that should be promoting free speech and open debate declare no-go areas for people that they disagree with.

"We will not sit back and allow this situation to persist.?

Dandala said he had called on the association of university principals to pronounce on the matter.

?I have not received any positive response from the association. What has happened to those universities which were at the forefront of fighting for liberation?

"What happened to the role they used to play as a conscience of the nation??

When asked why the Congress of the People failed to attract the same numbers of people to its rallies as the ANC did, Dandala said huge rallies did not mean anything.

?Many people are scared to come out because they fear victimisation. They know how they will vote during the elections,? he said.