/ 22 September 2009

Cope suspends youth leader

Anele Mda, the Congress of the People’s youth leader, has been suspended after allegations that she called the party’s deputy general secretary ‘a stupid, white token bitch”.

Cope said in a statement on Tuesday that the party’s congress working committee (CWC) had suspended Mda after deputy general secretary Deidre Carter filed a written complaint.

The altercation between Mda and Carter took place three weeks ago after the party’s congress national committee meeting in Johannesburg.

‘Having deliberated extensively the CWC concluded that the gravity of the matters raised were significantly important and contrary to what the Congress of the People stands for. They merited immediate and decisive action on the part of the party,” said Cope general secretary Charlotte Lobe in a statement.

Mda has now been suspended from all leadership structures of the party, as well as her position as the convener of the youth movement, pending a disciplinary process. Mda continues to serve as a member of Parliament.

A Facebook group called ‘Anele Mda must go” was created a few days after the allegations against Mda came to light, calling for her to be sacked — both as youth leader and as an MP. She refused to discuss the allegations at that time, but sent a SMS to the Mail & Guardian, saying people with ‘devious intentions” continued to ‘tarnish” her name.

Cope’s leadership apologised to South Africans for Mda’s behaviour.

‘As Cope we reiterate our commitment to a non-racial and non-sexist South Africa. We also reiterate our belief in building a membership that is disciplined and respectful of our values as a democratic African country”.

Malusi Booi, Cope youth movement’s national coordinator, said he would run the youth wing until the conclusion of the matter by the disciplinary committee. The steering committee of the Cope youth movement meets next month and will discuss the matter, he said. ‘We respect the decision of the CWC and are happy that the matter was dealt with at that level,” said Booi.

He said he had not received any advice from the congress national committee on what needed to be done with Mda’s position of a national convener.

Mda burst on to the scene last year as a bright, young leader and was seen as a credible opponent to ANC Youth League president Julius Malema.

‘Brand Anele” as she called herself, was described as a breath of fresh air and a new hope for the South African youth. In most of her first speeches, she preached morals and respect for elders.

She however went off the rails just weeks after the national convention when she told supporters in the Eastern Cape that rape would be legalised should Jacob Zuma become the president. Cope leaders moved swiftly to apologise ‘unconditionally” to the ANC and Zuma for her statement.

Mda also called for the expulsion of the party’s former head of elections, Simon Grindrod, after he resigned and raised issues of power struggles within the party. Cope president Mosiuoa Lekota said Mda’s comments were off the mark. ‘She simply jumped the gun,” Lekota said at the time.

Lobe said a date has not been set for Mda’s hearing, but that the disciplinary committee would decide at its meeting on September 30 when to schedule the matter to be heard.