Johannesburg — THE Congress of the People's (COPE's) last national election rally in Polokwane yesterday turned into an anti-African National Congress (ANC) event as leader after leader took a swipe at the ruling party.

COPE president Mosiuoa Lekota, presidential candidate Mvume Dandala and the party's premier candidate in Limpopo Sello Moloto did not mention providing housing, health, running water, electricity and jobs in their speeches, but focussed on criticising the ANC.

Moloto, the former premier of Limpopo, was the first to attack the government he was part of until a few months ago.

Moloto told the crowd of about 15000 COPE supporters at the Seshego Stadium that the government programmes that were "hijacked for a while" by the ANC would be implemented once he was elected premier. He said the ANC was promising people better education while it was giving alcohol to children -- referring to ANC parties that have taken place throughout the country.

Dandala told supporters they should elect a leader with moral values. He said SA was held hostage by the ANC leadership, and said that some businesses the party had approached for funding had refused to fund them because they feared losing their government contracts.

Lekota said the electoral system had to change to allow for the direct leadership of the president, the premier and mayors.