By Doreen Mokgolo
Congress of the People (Cope) Gauteng premier candidate Thomas Mofokeng believes that despite all the leadership challenges the party has faced over the years, it has succeeded in getting rid of all the members trying to ruin it.
“We know external forces were using some of our members to kill the party, and we know them, and we fought for the party to survive the storm,” he said in an interview with Scrolla.Africa.
“We are now rebuilding from what is left to deliver the promises we made to our people when the party was formed in 2008,” he said.
The former MMC of Economic Development in the Joburg metro said that although his party has been in coalition with the ANC in Joburg and Ekurhuleni and with the DA in Tshwane, he feels that coalitions in South Africa have performed badly.
“There are no proper arrangements or policies that guide coalitions; big parties think that because they have numbers, they can treat small parties like their branches, which should not be the case.
“A coalition should be built on merit and plans from both parties on the similar approaches they have for service delivery, not because someone needs numbers to unseat the other.
“There were instances where we got into coalitions only to realise later that the forced relationship could not work, but it was too late. We have learned from those mistakes and will do better should we go into coalition in the upcoming elections,” Mofokeng said.
As part of his plans for Gauteng, the premier candidate will focus on rebuilding the province’s economy with the help of middle-class citizens.
“We have a challenge of illegal foreign nationals operating businesses like spaza shops in the townships. The industry makes about R150-billion a year, more than mainstream supermarkets make.
“Most of that money leaves the country daily through illegal channels, but we will set policies to ensure that our people return to own these businesses and empower them accordingly,” he said.
Mofokeng said he will also focus his attention on the manufacturing industry by reviving factories and plants in the province that are now white elephants.
“We should not have challenges of unemployment with all the capabilities this province can offer.
“We can expand Sasol and rebuild the steel manufacturing company Iscor. It is sad that the company that took over is reselling material from China and has more plants in other metros that assemble cars.”
Pictured above: Cope’s Gauteng premier candidate, Thomas Mofokeng.
Image source: Supplied
