Cope’s Dexter goes back to ANC
MP turns back on ‘dysfunctional’ party and urges others to do the same
FORMER Cope spokesman Phillip Dexter, who has rejoined the ANC, says every one of Cope’s members should follow his lead and throw in their political lot with the ruling party.
And he believes Cope has no choice but to disband if it wants to avoid “political oblivion”.
Dexter said during a press conference at the ANC’S offices in the city yesterday that he was taking up a position as an “ordinary member”.
“The ANC is an organisation we need to strengthen for the good of our country.
“The ANC is the only organisation that can and does advance a programme I can support,” Dexter said.
Dexter, who was part of the establishment of Cope just over three years ago, will resign as a Cope MP as soon as Parliament reopens.
He said his move to Cope was a “genuine but misguided effort”.
None of Cope’s central figures could be reached for comment.
“I joined Cope in the hope that we could defend the national democratic revolution and build non-racialism. It has become clear to me that whatever we set out to do when we formed Cope, that mission is one that has failed.”
After the press conference, Dexter told enews in an interview that Cope needed to either “shut up shop” or face “political oblivion”.
He claimed the party had become “dysfunctional” and suggested that many people who had left the ANC to join Cope were now considering rejoining the ruling party.
“It is no secret that there is a great deal of unhappiness inside the political party,” Dexter said.
He said he had spoken to Cope president Mosiuoa Lekota about his decision to leave and had been treated with “a great deal of respect”.
“In no way was I uncomfortable with my discussion with him,” Dexter said.
Dexter has been openly critical of Cope recently.
After last year’s local government elections, when Cope managed just 2.1 percent of the overall vote, Dexter wrote a draft document about the state of the party. This was leaked to the media and Dexter came out to defend his stance and place on record his suggestions for repairing Cope.
Yesterday the ANC’S Western Cape chairman Marius Fransman welcomed Dexter back to the party with “open arms”.
“We started this year mind- ful of the fact that it is our 100year celebration.
“A birthday usually comes with a nice gift and we, as the Western Cape, are happy to be coming with a gift that is Phillip,” Fransman said.
He said the party would “sit down and consider” where Dexter’s skills could be used.
“Phillip will be utilised in the best way possible as an ordinary member of the ANC. We know he is somebody who was deployed in very strategic and senior responsibilities. We definitely would be able to make good use of those particular skills,” Fransman said.
Dexter said he had not taken the decision to leave Cope lightly – in fact, he had been considering it for almost a year.
“A firm commitment was made over the last few days.
“With the 100th anniversary of the ANC upon us (the party celebrates its centenary on Sunday) I felt there was no better time to implement what I have believed in my own mind for a long time,” Dexter said.