Good news during an election seasons is few and far between, however today proved different as the ANC announced the return of two of its most notorious deployees.
The Congress of the People Youth Movement is delighted that the likes of John Ngcebetsha and JJ Tabane have finally publicly revealed their true colours by announcing their return to the ruling party.
It should also be unequivocally stated that Ngcebetsha and Tabane join a long line of lieutenants of former COPE Deputy President Mbhazima Shilowa, again demonstrating their agenda devoid of a desire or commitment to building the organisation.
COPE YM has previously insisted that key office-bearers within COPE have been strategically deployed by the ruling party to destabilise the organisation from within, and today's announcement yet again vindicates this position.
No tears will be shed over the departure of the notorious duo as they leave an embarrassing trail of chaos, destruction and questionable deeds in the organisation behind.
The legacy of these two, one that only the ANC could be proud of, includes, among other things:
- The alleged fraudulent travel expenditures incurred by Tabane on COPE's allocated parliamentary funds as found by the Forensic Audit concluded last year;
- The alleged fraudulent travel expenditures of Ngcebetsha's legal firm at the expense of COPE's allocated parliamentary funds as found by the Forensic Audit;
- Ngcebetsha's frontline position in dragging COPE to court, Gauteng Chairperson 'elected' at a mockery of a conference and as legal counsel for Shilowa through his firm.
Both Tabane and Ngcebetsha saw the Congress of the People as a cash cow to make a quick buck, and as the taps of patronage dry up with Shilowa out of the picture these men would rather jump ship than exude any form of principle or ethics.
COPE YM is therefore delighted at the news of their departure as they head back to the ruling party where spurious spending at the taxpayer's expense is deemed acceptable, and apparently encouraged.
While the ANC is yet to take action against its Members in Parliament who cannot account for their irregular expenditure (TimesLive, 10 April) COPE's commitment to accountability, transparency and rooting out corruption clearly does not sit well with the likes of Tabane and Ngcebetsha.
We wish the ANC all the best as they welcome back their proverbial sons who, despite having sought a luxurious and opulent life elsewhere, came back home their father's house and to the values and principles that they never truly abandoned.
The ANC will need all the luck they can get in rehabilitating these men with their fervour for sowing division and the lust for power and money.
COPE YM also rejects yet again the continued marginalisation of COPE by the public broadcaster as it chose to prominently feature this non-issue on the news this evening (18 April), while casually and purposely ignoring the defection en masse of ANC and ANCYL members and counsellors in the Eastern Cape, Limpopo and Gauteng last week.
If a free media is the ANC's greatest opposition, then a controlled public broadcaster is clearly its best friend.
Statement issued by Marius Redelinghuys, Head of Communications: COPE YM, April 18 2011
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