BIOS FOR COPE'S NEWLY ELECTED LEADERSHIP

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PRETORIA 002764 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KJUS PGOV KDEM SF SUBJECT: BIOS FOR COPE'S NEWLY ELECTED LEADERSHIP REF: PRETORIA 2736 PRETORIA 00002764 001.2 OF 002 -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (U) The newly elected leaders of the Congress of the People (COPE) bring a wide range of experiences to their positions within South Africa's newest opposition party. With the exception of Deputy President Lynda Odendaal, a political novice who was seemingly chosen out of "nowhere," most of the other leaders were expected to play some sort of senior role in the new party. Below are short biographies of COPE's leaders. End Summary. ¶2. (U) President Mosiuoa Lekota was former national chairman in the African National Congress (ANC) before he lost his seat at Polokwane earlier this year. Lekota became involved in student politics and the Black Consciousness Movement during his days at the University of the North, which ultimately landed him an eight-year prison sentence at Robben Island. Upon his release in 1982 he joined the United Democratic Front, where he played a key role organizing students and activists across South Africa. He was later sentenced for additional prison time during the Delmas Treason Trial. Following the ANC's unbanning, Lekota served as the premier of the Free State and served as ANC national chairman from 1997 to 2007. He joined the Cabinet as Defense Minister in 1999 and resigned from his position following the ANC's decision to recall former President Thabo Mbeki in September 2008. Following his resignation, Lekota became a vocal critic of the Jacob Zuma-led ANC and held a national convention on November 1 to explore the possibility of a new political party. He subsequently formed a new party and will serve as COPE's first leader. Lekota is an animated speaker in public as well as in private. He claims COPE will focus on protecting the Constitution, de-politicizing the civil service, and upholding free market economic policies. Lekota in 2005 suffered a heart attack, but he continues to enjoy South African red wine. ¶3. (U) First Deputy President Mbhazima "Sam" Shilowa was former premier of Gauteng before deciding to resign following the ANC's decision to recall Mbeki. Shilowa has a long history of involvement in the ANC, but is more firmly rooted in the labor movement. He joined the Transport and General Workers' Union in the early 1980s and later served as its vice-president and president. He helped form the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and became its general secretary in 1993. He was elected to the ANC's national executive committee in 1997 and was appointed premier of Gauteng in 1999. He assisted Lekota in holding the national convention on November 1. Despite some press reports to the contrary, Shilowa seems comfortable as COPE's "number two." He jokingly referred to Lekota as "Shikota" (a hybrid, popular term referring to both Shilowa and Lekota) at COPE's inaugural conference in Bloemfontein. He has reportedly been out front leading the party's efforts to attract other ANC members to COPE. ¶4. (U) Second Deputy President Lynda Odendaal is a political newcomer who is "making her political debut" with COPE. A successful businesswoman and entrepreneur, Odendaal was born in Eastern Cape but now lives in Gauteng. At age 21 she became a single mother and has said, "I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth." Over time, she has become a recognized name in the computer industry, but was so unassuming at COPE's inaugural conference in Bloemfontein Qunassuming at COPE's inaugural conference in Bloemfontein that Poloff sat beside her during some of the party's speeches without knowing who she was. Despite her low profile, Lekota has promised that her "profile will be built." Her business acumen has been lauded by prominent technology journalists such as itweb.com's Christelle Du Toit; Odendaal resigned from her company upon assuming her role in COPE. Political analysts and journalists speculate she was selected as a deputy because she can attract the same demographic that supports Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille. ¶5. (U) Secretary General Charlotte Lobe resigned from the ANC earlier this year despite serving on the ruling party's national executive committee. Before her resignation, Lobe also served a provincial secretary of the Free State and had previously served as spokesperson for the ANC's Women's League. She opted to leave the ANC in protest of how the new ANC leadership was handling the organization; last year she PRETORIA 00002764 002.2 OF 002 heavily favored having Mbeki serve a third term as ANC President. She was the first woman to join COPE and has been the face of the party whenever it has announced registration figures or party platforms. ¶6. (U) Deputy Secretary General Deirdre Carter is a political newcomer who joined COPE in KwaZulu Natal. She has reportedly been active attracting support for the new party in the Pietermaritzburg area. She has described herself as an "ordinary South African mother of two." Pundits speculate Carter was selected along with Odendaal to attract white, female voters to the party. ¶7. (U) Treasurer Hilda Ndude in the 1990s served in the ANC's Western Cape executive. She left her position in the party in 1998 to go into business because "we had done what we set out to do." However, she has since decided she would be "failing the nation" if she did not get involved again. Ndude is a former United Democratic Front activist from the Western Cape. ¶8. (U) International Affairs Chairperson Lyndall Shope-Mafole is daughter of struggle veteran Gertrude Shope. Shope-Mafole is familiar with international affairs because she was once the deputy chair and secretary for international affairs in the ANC Youth League. She was elected to the ANC's national executive committee in Polokwane, but resigned her position shortly after Lekota held the national convention. ¶9. (U) Head of Policy Chief Smuts Ngonyama served on the ANC's executive from 1994 until he lost his seat at Polokwane. He is a long-time ally of Mbeki, serving as ANC spokesperson during much of the former President's tenure, and is helping to launch the Thabo Mbeki Leadership Institute. Ngonyama reportedly was seeking to become COPE's national chairperson, but failed to attain the post when the draft constitution did not provide for such a slot in the party's structure. ¶10. (U) National Organizer Mluleki George is long-time ally of Lekota and was one of the first ANC leaders to resign with the former Defense Minister following the recall of Mbeki. George served as Deputy Defense Minister under Lekota, but following his resignation from Cabinet began rallying support for the new political party in Eastern Cape -- the province with the largest number of COPE members so far. ¶11. (U) Elections Convener Mlungisi Hlongwane is a former president of the South African National Civic Organization. A long-time ANC member, he resigned from the ruling party in November 2008. ¶12. (U) Media Division Chief Phillip Dexter is a former anti-apartheid activist who has served in Parliament, COSATU, and the South African Communist Party (SACP). He was ousted from SACP for criticizing, what he termed, Blade Nzimande's "Stalinist approach" and for supporting Willie Madisha during the organization's "missing money saga." Dexter is known to work all hours of the day and is well-connected in Western Cape. ¶13. (U) Zahira Ebrahim will head a position vaguely described as involving sectors. She is the daughter of Pan Africanist Congress veteran Gora Ebrahim and niece of Zuma ally Ebrahim Ebrahim. She came into light as a guest speaker at the national convention when she passionately expressed concerns over where the country was headed. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶14. (U) By choosing its leadership team by consensus, COPE avoided the type of political infighting that would have crippled the organization from the start. However, it Qcrippled the organization from the start. However, it remains unclear how well the team will work together or whether other senior leaders from the ANC who may defect later on will have positions in the party. BOST