Thousands of Congress of the People supporters sang for Thabo Mbeki in Kwazekele township outside of Port Elizabeth on Sunday.

The party then announced they would grant the former president a "family of the revolution" award.

The crowd of around 3000, who sang "Thabo, Thabo Mbeki" were joined later in the afternoon by Mbeki's former deputy president and now senior Cope member Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.

Before speaking to the crowd, Mlambo-Ngcuka sat beside former ANC spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama with a large poster of a smiling Mbeki behind them. However, when asked by a journalist to comment on the likelihood of Mbeki resigning from the ANC to join Cope, Mlambo-Ngcuka shook her head, said "no I'm sorry" and returned to her seat.

During her speech Mlambo-Ngcuka regularly led the crowd in songs in praise of Cope.

"Cope is only 100 days old, but it has taken on a party that is nearly 100-years-old," she said to cheers from the crowd some of who waved "Stop Zuma" posters.

"Cope has shaken this country from its roots. No battle is too big."

Mlambo-Ngcuka mentioned the party's plans to help the poor of Eastern Cape.

She said there was not much use in handing out grants.

"If we give you a grant it may make you less poor, but we don't eradicate poverty," she said.

One of the only solutions was to identify skills that were needed and to train people.

She called for an era of new leaders who would be hard on corruption.

"We want you to be incorruptible," she said.

Strong words by Ngonyama

Earlier Ngonyama, dressed in a yellow Cope shirt, paced up and down the sports field of Wolfson Stadium urging people to vote for Cope.

"Many are calling us dogs, some are calling us cockroaches," he said.

"But this infant (Cope) is going to defend our democracy. The only way to stop the chaos and lawlessness is through the ballot, not through mshini wam," he said in reference to the revolutionary song often sung by ANC president Jacob Zuma.

Cope's Eastern Cape provincial secretary Nquba Banga praised Mbeki, comparing him to former president Nelson Mandela, United States civil rights leader Martin Luther King and the Chinese Communist leader Mao Tse-Tsung.

He promised to lead a march to Mbeki's home in Pretoria to thank the former president for the working for peace and unity.

"President Mbeki showed the ability to think and to influence the Americans, that is never going to happen today," he said.

"We are here to honour a family of the revolution. We have taken a decision to declare our support for the outstanding leadership of our former president Tata Mbeki."

"Down with Zuma, down," he shouted.