Johannesburg — THE Congress of the People (COPE) took advantage of the holidays and intensified its campaign drive over the festive season, targeting partying youth in Eastern Cape and other areas.

As part of project "COPE to coast", the new party threw parties and visited beaches in East London and Port Elizabeth in an effort to woo the youth.

Eastern Cape COPE spokesman Nkosifikile Gqomo said party members gave out COPE information brochures and party regalia from a "COPE-coloured bakkie" .

COPE national spokesman Sipho Ngwema said similar campaigns took place in Mpumalanga, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal. "We had to make sure COPE remains top of the agenda."

Ngwema said the campaigning went "extremely well". "The response was very positive. There has been a lot of interest as more people joined, especially online."

According to Ngwema, the party's website had about 67000 hits a day during the festive season.

COPE leaders say the party has more than 500000 registered members.

Although the party said it had received a positive response, some people were hostile . Ngwema said there were clashes between COPE supporters and African National Congress (ANC) supporters at a beach in East London. He said some of the party's meetings and rallies were disrupted in Mpumalanga and Parys. "It was just the ANC giving us a tough time."

ANC spokesman Carl Niehaus said his party had told its supporters to allow freedom of political association and preached tolerance. He said it was difficult to investigate the allegations as no detailed complaint had been laid .

COPE's newly elected leadership is expected to meet on Saturday to discuss preparations for the party's election manifesto launch, set to take place in Port Elizabeth on January 24.

Both the ANC and COPE will launch their manifestos in Eastern Cape, a province expected to be hotly contested in the general election as both parties claim to have majority support there.

Former senior ANC leaders in the province, including former premier Nosimo Balindlela and former ANC provincial secretary Siphatho Handi, have joined COPE.

The new party is also working on a strategy to make ground in KwaZulu-Natal, where the ANC has been less affected by its formation .

COPE says it has about 10000 members in this province, compared with Eastern Cape's 160000. No senior ANC leader in the province has defected so far. Analysts say the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal is stronger and more united than in other provinces.

Ngwema said the ANC planned to hold a rally in party president Jacob Zuma's home province at the weekend.

The COPE provincial leadership had decided not to hold rallies and public meetings for fear of intimidation.

They accused the ANC, under the leadership of provincial secretary Senzo Mchunu, of promoting intolerance.

Mchunu was last year quoted as saying COPE should not even try to campaign in the province.