ANC breakaway party hit by high-level resignationsThe deputy president of South Africa's third largest party resigned Tuesday, while its elections head quit parliament amid leadership battles in the party formed by dissidents of the ruling ANC ANC abbr. African National Congress ANC African National Congress: South African political movement instrumental in bringing an end to apartheid ANC n abbr (= . The Congress of the People (COPE) spokesman Philip Dexter confirmed that the party's second deputy president Lynda Odendaal had resigned and elections head Simon Grindrod Simon Grindrod is the leader of the Independent Democrats' City of Cape Town caucus, a PR member of the Cape Town City Council, and a subcouncillor for Subcouncil 1 (Blaauwberg). He is also a member of the mayoral committee for Economic and Social Development and Tourism. quit parliament but would remain a member of the party. Grindrod told the SAPA SAPA South African Press Association SAPA Società in Accomandita Per Azioni (Italy) SAPA Society of Army Physician Assistants SAPA Saint Paul's Church National Historic Site (US National Park Service) news agency that he quit because of poor leadership. "The leadership is in the process of destroying the party. It is entirely indifferent to the challenges facing the party," he said. Dexter said Odendaal, who resigned from the party and as a member of parliament, did not give any reasons for her decision. Odendaal and Grindrod were part of the 30 COPE members who took up seats in parliament after the fledgling party performed well in the April elections, becoming the third biggest party. The party was formed last year by ruling African National Congress African National Congress (ANC), the oldest black (now multiracial) political organization in South Africa; founded in 1912. Prominent in its opposition to apartheid, the organization began as a nonviolent civil-rights group. members angry with the ANC's decision to force former president Thabo Mbeki Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki (born June 18 1942) is the current President of the Republic of South Africa.<ref name="gcis-profile2004" /> Early years Born and raised in what is now the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, Mbeki is the son of Govan Mbeki (1910 to step down amid political infighting in·fight·ing n. 1. Contentious rivalry or disagreement among members of a group or organization: infighting on the President's staff. 2. Fighting or boxing at close range. . But since its launch, accompanied by much fanfare as the first truly non-racial party expected to appeal to all South Africans, COPE has been plagued by internal strife and rumours of unhappiness with the leadership of party chief Mosiuoa Lekota. The Cape Times on Tuesday cited a leaked document in which Dexter wrote there were opportunists in the party who wanted to destroy it. This comes just weeks after Grindrod claimed leadership battles were threatening the party's survival. 
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