Makhubele breaks her silence over her sacking from COPE

President of the new coalition pact, South African Rainbow Alliance, Colleen Makhubele, says the leader of COPE has always been part of the pact from its inception.

Makhubele says at some point Mosiuoa Lekota even went as far as saying that the pact is a legacy that he wanted to leave.

The former COPE member and Joburg Council Speaker finally broken her silence over her axing from the party at a media briefing at the Sandton Hotel yesterday.

COPE fired Makhubele after she raised her hand to be the President of the new coalition pact.

Despite all the controversy, she says, she will continue to honour Lekota.

Earlier this week, Lekota heavily criticised Makhebele’s decision to sign the pact, saying although COPE was considering part of the pact – Makhubele had not been given the go-ahead to sign the agreement and join the coalition.

He also accused her of ignoring party structures.

Makhubele, however, believes that she was fired from Cope for simply believing that she can lead.

“I was fired because I had the courage to voice my ambition, they fired me because they could and because they had the power to.”

She believes that COPE is targeting her because she is female and says had she been a man – the party would have remained in SARA.

Makhubele has painted a bleak picture of the struggles that women have faced in a male dominated society, emphasising that as a presidential candidate, her brief stint has been a trying time.

She has assured women who have felt secluded from certain positions life and in their careers that SARA is their new home.

“Women who have missed out on opportunities due to their gender, and those who have been dealt with by society’s harsh hand are all welcome to the party.“