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CHAOS erupted yesterday when three top leaders of the Congress of the People had to flee an angry crowd at an East London restaurant last night.

Cope’s president, Mosiuoa Lekota, head of policy, Smuts Ngonyama, and national spokesperson, Phillip Dexter, had gone to the Imbizo restaurant in Quigney after a fiery meeting at the East London Golf Club.

While there, a group of anti- Lekota supporters barged into the restaurant and threatened to assault them.

They had to take cover behind the bar counter and run out of a back door to escape their assailants.

Police were called to defuse the angry mob.

The three Cope leaders could not be contacted for comment after the incident.

Earlier, they were in the firing line when angry Cope members were locked out of a provincial leadership meeting called to quell an internal rebellion in the province.

Kept away from the meeting, at which there was a heavy police presence – and security guards on duty – were members of the Provincial Interim Leadership Group (Pilg), who were among a group of petitioners suspended by the party last week.

They included Pilg deputy chairperson and Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL), Nkosinathi Kuluta, the party’s former secretary and MPL, Mtiwabo Ndube, and the party’s logistics co-ordinator, Moses Qomoyi.

“We were told we have to vacate the venue because we are suspended apparently,” said Ndube as he left the golf club. “I was told I had no right to be at the meeting. Even ( Lekota) was told he had no right being at the meeting because no-one invited him.”

Another source at the meeting said Lekota came under strong attack and was blamed for not condemning those accused of destabilising Cope.

“Speaker after speaker took him to task for not following proper processes when he came to the province,” she said.

While the meeting was taking place behind closed doors, two groups of about 250 Cope supporters gathered outside the entrance and demanded to be allowed in.

Things almost got out of hand when the rival groups began singing, and hurling insults at each other.

A minor scuffle broke out when two suspended members, Thembelani Nodada and Mzwandile Bula, tried to force their way into the venue, demanding Lekota address them.

“We have been waiting in the cold the whole day. We want Comrade Terror to come and address us,” said Nodada.

This led the pro-Pilg group to send their own delegation into the venue, also demanding that their leaders come and out and address them.

The meeting was also attended by Cope’s deputy president, Mbha zima Shilowa, secretary-general Charlotte Lobe, and national organiser Mluleki George.

Pilg had already met with the party’s central working committee (CWC) in a bid to calm matters after a group that includes senior provincial leaders wrote a strongly-worded petition to Lekota, listing a number of complaints.

The group claimed they had had enough of the provincial chairperson, Andile Nkuhlu, and his “arrogant, childish and immature behaviour”.

They accused Nkuhlu of being “another Malema”.

Nkuhlu said after yesterday’s meeting that there was a “fruitful discussion” which would continue today. - By MSIMELELO NJWABANE