FORMER Joburg council speaker Colleen Makhubele has broken her silence after being axed by Congress of the People (Cope) on Monday, 13 November.
In a media briefing on Wednesday morning, 15 November, Makhubele said Cope fired her because she is a woman who wanted to lead the South African Rainbow Alliance (Sara), a newly established political coalition.
Sara is a coalition comprising of smaller parties including the NFP, AARM, ICM and churches.
“I was fired because I had the courage to voice my ambitions. They fired me because they could and because they had the power to,” said Makhubele.
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On Monday, during a media briefing in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Cope's general-secretary Eric Mohlapamaswi said Makhubele joined Sara without Cope's permission.
Makhubele, who is now the executive president of Sara, said Cope president Mosiuoa Lekota was very instrumental in the formation of Sara since the different parties began meeting to discuss the possibility of joining forces in August 2023.
Makhubela said Lekota was a member of Sara.
She also revealed that she was not consulted and that Sara coalition partners were waiting for Lekota to be a part of the meeting when she received a call that she was fired.
She also said that they have chosen not to terminate that termination because it’s clearly not worth it.
“This is the future and Sara is where we’re going,” she said.
Makhubele said Sara is led by a woman who is capable and creating a serious threat in the political landscape, and that's the reason these lies against her are being formed.
