This story focuses on the creation of COPE and its impact on the South African Students Congress at Rhodes University. COPE formed in December 2008, which was, for all intensive purposes, a break-away party from the ANC, caused a lot of unrest within the ruling party but also within Unions and societies which were historically aligned with the ANC.
One of these unions was the South African Students Union (SASCO). SASCO now had a decision to make, they could either support their members who had defected to the new party COPE, or they could root them out and maintain their alliance to ANC ideology.
To “preserve” their organisation and prevent a split within SASCO, rather than have their organisation split by COPE like the ANC had been, they took the decision, says Xanti Njozela (President of Rhodes SASCO) not to tolerate people who openly supported and campaigned for COPE.
This took place after SASCO’s National Secretary –General Magasela Mzobe (see related links) called for the rejection of COPE on University campuses. Whether or not he was talking about active rejection or not, his words sparked violence amongst SASCO members on many campuses in South Africa where SASCO members and COPE supporters clashes at rallies and other political events, like Butterworth University.
Shortly after it became known to us that there was a pending investigation against COPE supporters within SASCO at Rhodes, we thought that it was worth investigating. It was then revealed that there were almost 50* COPE members within SASCO. While the SASCO president tried to tell us that they were not unwelcome in SASCO he eventually admitted that people who were doing COPE work would in fact not be tolerated and would be subject to disciplinary hearing and possible suspension.
At the same time, COPE at Rhodes is trying to set up their Youth League. However, after missing the SRC deadline for registration of societies, many of their members joined SASCO out of old allegiances and lack of their own society. But they say that once the COPE Youth League is formed on campus there will be a mass extradition from SASCO to the COPE Youth League which would eventually spell the “death” of SASCO according to COPE sources.
*according to COPE representative on Rhodes campus, Loyiso Phantshwa at kazinoekstra kazino igri rotativki plodove.
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