Misadventures of a Cope Volunteer

What happens when you form a political party six months before a general election? And instantly become the hope of the nation?Mostly chaos! At least that is what 26-year-old Michiel le Roux encountered when he quit his enviable job as a banker at Absa to “make a difference”. He volunteered for the Congress of the People (Cope) and became part of their 2009 election campaign. Very soon, he loses his political innocence in a party paralysed by power struggles, lack of funds and administrative capacity. Fortunately, he keeps his sense of humour amid duties which include rushing to Pretoria at breakneck speed to submit the party’s candidate lists, fending off supporters intent on getting a Cope T-shirt – of which there are none – and driving then-party leader Mosiuoa Lekota to rallies.Uproariously funny, this warts-and-all take on Cope also offers caustic comment on the state of politics in South Africa.