Former ANC Youth League leader Fikile Mbalula has accused former President Thabo Mbeki of conniving with the founders of the Congress of the People (COPE) to launch the splinter grouping in defence of what he called the "Xhosanostra".
The ANC heavyweight made the claim when addressing the National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union's (Nehawu) central executive committee meeting in Johannesburg on Thursday.
Now head of campaigns for the ANC's elections effort, Mbalula accused Mbeki of "selling out the revolution" by not denouncing COPE's formation and suggesting, in the letter he penned to ANC president Jacob Zuma last month, that the movement was legitimate.
Mbalula alleged that Mbeki gave Cope "surrogates" the green light to form a "Xhosa-based" political party.
He said former deputy defence minister Mluleki George, one of COPE's leaders, had told a public meeting in the Eastern Cape that they had consulted with Mbeki before breaking away from the ANC - something COPE has denied.
"Mluleki George had told a gathering that wanted to render the ANC ungovernable ... in the Amathole region of the Eastern Cape - that they are forming a new organisation and one of the people they have consulted was President Thabo Mbeki," said Mbalula.
He said because Mbeki's recall led COPE co-founders George, Mosiuoa Lekota and Mbhazima Shilowa to leave the ANC, this "debunked the lie and the hypocrisy" that the former president had nothing to do with the formation of the new party.
He said the idea to form (COPE) was "opportunistic" and included "mobilising people on tribal lines, Xhosanostra".
Mbalula, who is Xhosa himself, said the decision was sparked by Mbeki's recall "to mobilise in defence of the Xhosa struggle".
The ANC national executive committee member also attacked Mbeki for making it clear in his letter he would not campaign for the party that recalled him because it had no confidence in his leadership.
"To say you are a member of an organisation, but don't want to participate in its activities, is the height of disloyalty and dishonesty," Mbalula said.
Cope's deputy chairperson Mbhazima Shilowa on Thursday denied Mbeki was part of the splinter grouping. Shilowa also denied a suggestion that ANC members who jumped ship to join Cope had first consulted with the former president.
Shilowa was participating in IOL's online chat forum, in which all the country's political parties are invited to interact with readers.
Mbeki's spokesperson, Mukoni Ratshitanga, yesterday told Independent Newspapers that "Mbalula is barking up the wrong tree".
"What everyone who is a member of the ANC is expecting from him (Mbalula) is to campaign for the ANC not to complicate the ANC. So let us all get down to the business of campaigning for the ANC and let's stop compromising the ANC," said Ratshitanga.
Mbalula said the ANC was "weeding out" members that were "polluting" the ruling party by their covert support for COPE, said Mbalula.
He likened COPE's formation to the "same old tried and tested method and discourse of counter-revolution" of those who had left the ANC in the past such as the PAC in 1959, the Gang of Eight in 1970, the IFP in 1975, and the UDM in 1999.
Solly Mapaila, the national organiser for the SACP, told the gathering Cope dissidents were "traitors of the revolution" who were spreading "lies" in the media.
Meanwhile the Pretoria High Court was expected to deliver judgment today (Friday) on the battle between the ANC and the Congress of the People (COPE) over the breakaway party's chosen name.
The ANC wants the court to stop COPE from registering the name, Congress of the People, with the Independent Electoral Commission.