Andisiwe Makinana
9 November 2009
The national spokesperson for Cope's youth movement, Sipho Nghona has resigned from all of the positions he held in the party, but says he will remain an ordinary member of the party.
On Monday night, Nghona told the Cape Argus that he had resigned from the youth movement's national steering committee, as head of communication and from the national working committee.
He refused to give reasons and would not confirm allegations that he had resigned over the party's reluctance to talk about Western Cape problems.
"I can't give you the reasons, for now," he said. Pressed on whether his resignation had anything to do with the Western Cape, he reiterated his initial comment.
But party insiders say Nghona resigned when Saturday's meeting of the national youth leadership in Durban refused to discuss Western Cape problems.
Nghona had allegedly proposed that the meeting discuss the media statement put out by the party's Western Cape youth wing on Monday night, calling for Allan Boesak to account to the party or leave.
A few hours after the statement was issued, Boesak resigned from Cope, although he said his resignation had nothing to do with the youth statement.
The mother body, through national spokesperson Phillip Dexter, distanced itself from the provincial youth's statement, with Dexter saying the issues had been raised in an ill-considered, ill-disciplined and sensationalist manner.
On Monday night, two national youth leaders claimed to have no knowledge of Nghona's resignation. Deputy secretary Sithembiso Khanyile said he was "dumbstruck" to hear about it from the media.
Khanyile said the youth had had a progressive meeting in Durban on Saturday.
"That's why I'm also dumbstruck because I have received no SMS or e-mail saying he has resigned.
"It's shocking that we hear from you as the media that he's resigned. The Sipho I know would have said something, even sent an SMS to say he is leaving," Khanyile said.
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