Wikileaks: Mbeki was behind Cope

[BBSA]

http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article848510.ece/Wikileaks--Mbeki-was-behind-Cope

Ousted president Thabo Mbeki was directly involved in the formation of Cope, the ANC breakaway party, according to a secret US diplomatic note obtained by Media24.

The note is dated December 5, 2008, and revolves around a meeting between a diplomat, the US embassy and a Unisa professor, Dirk Kotze, Beeld newspaper reported on Thursday, under a headline naming the website WikiLeaks as the source.

According to the note Mbeki, who was asked to resign as president of the country by the African National Congress in September 2008, was involved in writing the Congress of the People's policy documents.

Kotze reportedly told the US diplomat that Cope spokesman Smuts Ngonyama, a former spokesman for Mbeki, had said the policy document was drafted by Mbeki.

"Smuts made it very clear that it [the policy document] had come from Mbeki," said Kotze.

He added: "The document has all the characteristics of many of Mbeki's ANC letters."

Both Kotze and Ngonyama denied the report.

So, it is true:erm:

 

[marine1]

Knew it all along.

 

[BBSA]

Why was he not open about it?

Did they not kill one of his bodyguards?

 

[marine1]

Yes I am sure it was the ANC crew who killed him. I think he wanted to pull the strings from behind the scenes.
I remember telling people on this forum, do not vote COPE but people never listen.

 

[BBSA]

I think he wanted to pull the strings from behind the scenes.

Why?

 

[Sherbang]

This may or may not be true, it's nonsense to think that a conversation between 3 people, none of whom are close to Mbeki in any way, constitutes 'proof' of his involvement. The 3 were a diplomat, the US embassy and a Unisa professor. The Unisa professor (Kotze) himself denies that there is any truth to the cable. It still seems very unlikely to me. We used to say 'just because it's on the internet, doesn't mean it's true' - now we have to amend that to 'just because some american diplomat said it in a cable published by wikileaks, doesn't mean it's true'! Show me the evidence. Personally, I think the COPE party would be in much better shape if Mbeki had any hand in it.

 

[blunomore]

This may or may not be true, it's nonsense to think that a conversation between 3 people, none of whom are close to Mbeki in any way, constitutes 'proof' of his involvement. The 3 were a diplomat, the US embassy and a Unisa professor. The Unisa professor (Kotze) himself denies that there is any truth to the cable. It still seems very unlikely to me. We used to say 'just because it's on the internet, doesn't mean it's true' - now we have to amend that to 'just because some american diplomat said it in a cable published by wikileaks, doesn't mean it's true'! Show me the evidence. Personally, I think the COPE party would be in much better shape if Mbeki had any hand in it.

It is one thing coming up with an idea and another actually operating/running it. So it may have been his brainchild, but it failed because it is run like a spaza shop.

 

[Kompete]

This may or may not be true, it's nonsense to think that a conversation between 3 people, none of whom are close to Mbeki in any way, constitutes 'proof' of his involvement. The 3 were a diplomat, the US embassy and a Unisa professor. The Unisa professor (Kotze) himself denies that there is any truth to the cable. It still seems very unlikely to me. We used to say 'just because it's on the internet, doesn't mean it's true' - now we have to amend that to 'just because some american diplomat said it in a cable published by wikileaks, doesn't mean it's true'! Show me the evidence. Personally, I think the COPE party would be in much better shape if Mbeki had any hand in it.

tend to agree - dont see much about this story in the news either.