Cope councillor in the City of Joburg Colleen Makhubele has been axed from the party after she joined a new alliance without getting approval from her party.
Makhubele was the Speaker in the City of Joburg.
Cope announced on Monday that Makhubele has been axed with another Cope councillor in Tshwane Ofentse Moalusi.
The party said Makhubele and Moalusi had started campaigning for the new alliance, the South African Rainbow Alliance (Saru) without approval from Cope.
“We were aware of smaller parties coming together to perhaps form an alliance or a coalition that would campaign in next year’s elections. However, no final decision was made on the above,” said Cope leader Mosiuoa Lekota.
“We were surprised to learn over the weekend through social media that the pair have already started campaigning for an alliance and have positioned themselves as the president and chairperson of that alliance,” said Lekota.
The decision to join Saru without approval was against the constitution of the party.
Makhubele was speaker for the City of Joburg in September last year.
But the decision by Cope to axe her would lead to her removal from council.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
Politics