Former Congress of the People (Cope) MP and deputy leader, Willie Madisha, has been booted out of Parliament as the party’s public representative, following his expulsion from his former party.
Madisha has now been replaced by Cope national chairperson, Teboho Loate.
National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula announced Loate as the new Cope MP at a sitting of the House on Tuesday.
“I wish to announce that the vacancy which occurred owing to the loss of membership of the National Assembly by WM Madisha in terms of section 47(3)(c) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, had been filled by the nomination of Mr T Loate with effect from 16 August 2023,” Mapisa- Nqakula said.
She said Loate has already taken oath at her office.
Loate’s nomination as an MP comes after Madisha was expelled from Cope in June.
The expulsion came a year after the party was embroiled in infighting that saw a faction led by Madisha announcing the suspension of party leader Mosiuoa Lekota for allegedly causing divisions with the party and due to his ill health in August 2022.
After many months of infighting, Cope announced in July that it terminated Madisha’s membership along with former Cope secretary for elections, Mzwandile Nhleko.
The pair were accused of convening unconstitutional meetings and conferences, abusing party resources and acting as imposters in positions that were not approved by the congress national committee
Madisha, a former president of Cosatu and the South African Democratic Teachers Union, was expelled from the labour federation, teachers’ union and SACP in 2008.
He joined Cope when it broke away from the ANC and has been an MP since 2009.
Cape Times