A year of Cope: Get this party started

A number of authors in various publications, print and online, have been reflecting on the state, impact and prospects of the Congress of the People (Cope). This has been particularly pronounced as the party prepares to celebrate its first anniversary in Kimberley on December 16.Various contributors to this month’s edition of The Thinker comment on the new party and its first year, and former national spokesperson Sipho Ngwema, in the Sunday Independent (December 13 2009), “berates” the new political animal on the South African political landscape.

Beyond the occasional musings by party members and loyalists, it is difficult to find commentary that is not critical of the party, its performance and future. This is hardly unfair, unexpected or unjust. Constant informed and constructive critical reflection, both internal and external, is a necessity for a party that hopes to position itself as a viable modern and progressive political alternative.

It is difficult to convincingly deny the political impact of Cope. It is the first “new” party to demonstrate a significant national presence — with 36 members in both the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces. Unlike previous “new” parties its support base is not concentrated in a particular region, having secured representation in every provincial legislature, although in various degrees. Additionally, and perhaps most crucial to its future success, is its broadly representative support base across socio-economic, cultural, religious, ethnic and racial divides.

This in itself makes it almost redundant to talk about imminent death of the movement. With floor-crossing abolished it is unlikely that the party will cease to exist, at least not before the next general election.

However, apart from having incredible strategists, committed local organisers and a vibrant membership in its fold, the party has suffered immensely at the hands of avoidable bad publicity reporting on factionalism, in-fighting and internal discontent in the highest echelons. It has also, unfortunately, not always delivered on the expectations its advent generated.

Listening to Dame Shirley Bassey’s 2008 rendition of Linda Perry’s Get This Party Started, these expectations were, in some ways, adequately captured by the song.

References to sending out messages to friends, looking flashy in a Mercedes-Benz, making connections and the anticipation of the party’s long-awaited arrival do rather remind one of Cope’s arrival and first year.

A year later, however, there remain critical issues that must be discussed and ironed out, relating directly to the party’s “New Agenda of Hope and Change” and its desire to be a progressive, modern alternative. Two issues in particular deserve attention (the focus of subsequent contributions), namely the party’s perceived inability to cope beyond personalities, and the substantiation of its “new agenda” transcending a supposed ideological wilderness.

As the 2011 local government elections loom, the next great test for the party, it is pivotal that Cope goes to Kimberley on Wednesday to convincingly “get this party started”. It is essential that this provides a tangible demonstration of the party’s viability to the South African public, recapturing the imagination of the country’s citizens and rebuilding the morale of its supporters and leaders by manifesting its vibrant nature and a semblance of unity and coherence.