204:
witness. He denied that Petrus had been instructed to carry out the murder, but under cross-examination he admitted that he had perjured himself during the criminal trial: he said that Petrus had told him about his plan while they were driving to the taxi rank and that he had "tried to dissuade" Petrus. He told the
Commission that he had lied to the court because "we did not trust South Africa's courts and were not free to speak".
274:(COPE), a newly formed breakaway party. Bloem said that he was not a member of any party other than the ANC and that he was "busy sorting out this whole thing"; a COPE spokesperson said, more directly, that Bloem was indeed standing as a Cope candidate but denying it because he had not yet resigned from the ANC.
293:
In the general election of that year, Bloem was elected as a
Delegate to the National Council of Provinces, representing COPE in the Free State. He and another ANC defector, though they were re-elected to Parliament, were instructed to move out of their four-bedroom parliamentary houses and into
203:
hearings in 1996, Petrus applied for amnesty for the murder, claiming that he had been instructed to assassinate
Ramasimong after a community meeting had decided that Ramasimong should be killed for orchestrating attacks on UDF supporters. Bloem, by then serving in Parliament, was summoned as a
277:
Shortly afterwards, Bloem confirmed that he was resigning from the ANC to join COPE. He said, "It was an extremely difficult decision to make. I love the ANC. It is the only political home that I know". However, he said that he felt that provincial party leaders in the
186:
In 1992, he and three others were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the murder of George "Diwiti" Ramasimong, the leader of
Kroonstad's anti-UDF Three Million Gang. Specifically, Bloem had been seen driving with the killer, UDF member Roland Petrus, to the
352:
announced that the party's executive had suspended COPE president
Mosiuoa Lekota; Lekota and his allies issued a parallel letter of suspension, claiming that Bloem and Madisha had themselves been suspended by an earlier meeting of the executive.
1008:
191:
rank where
Ramasimong was killed. During the trial, he denied having prior knowledge of the murder conspiracy; Petrus was convicted and imprisoned for the murder, while Bloem was charged as an accomplice and fined
306:, ranked fourth on COPE's national party list. However, COPE performed very poorly in the election and won only three seats in the National Assembly, meaning that Bloem narrowly failed to gain a seat. In the
615:"General Notice: Notice 717 of 2004 - Electoral Commission – List of Names of Representatives in the National Assembly and the Nine Provincial Legislatures in Respect of the Elections Held on 14 April 2004"
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in 2019, Bloem was ranked 34th on COPE's national party list and again did not gain a parliamentary seat; he was also ranked first on the provincial party list for
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In 2022, Bloem, as national spokesperson of COPE, was involved in a serious power struggle inside the party. In August of that year, he and COPE deputy president
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497:"The Three Million Gang in Maokeng Township (Kroonstad) and the reaction of the African National Congress's aligned structures"
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Though he therefore did not serve in
Parliament, Bloem remained active in COPE. In addition, in early 2019, he approached the
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two-bedroom units to make room for ANC members, leading to a court battle which ended in an out-of-court settlement.
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410:"General Notice: Notice 1319 of 1999 – Electoral Commission: Representatives Elected to the Various Legislatures"
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had turned the party into a 'laughing stock', and that he no longer wanted to be a part of 'stomach politics'.
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229:). However, the ANC reshuffled its parliamentary caucuses in 1997 and Bloem was moved to a seat in the
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131:(born 4 August 1952) is a South African politician who served as the national spokesperson of the
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333:. In his testimony, he was scathing about the ANC's management of the department and said that
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At the end of his five-year term in the NCOP, Bloem stood for re-election to
Parliament in the
221:, South Africa's first under universal suffrage, Bloem was elected to represent the ANC in the
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527:
504:
444:
Chitja Twala (2010). "Activists networks and political protest in the Free State, 1983-1990".
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and asked to give evidence, emanating from his tenure as the portfolio committee chair, about
322:
286:, the former ANC national chairperson who had defected to establish COPE. ANC spokesperson
925:"Cope's spokesperson Dennis Bloem denies he's been suspended along with Madisha and Hleko"
656:"Zondo orders investigation into correctional services for irregular expenditure, looting"
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341:– had been afforded the protection of top ANC officials, including former Minister
270:, which showed that Bloem was standing as a candidate both for the ANC and for the
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233:. He was re-elected to two further full terms in the National Assembly in
135:(COPE) until his resignation in August 2023. He represented COPE in the
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337:– the prisoners commissioner who had arranged dubious contracts with
555:. Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. 24 May 1994
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Congress of the People (South
African political party) politicians
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Bloem resigned from COPE in August 2023, saying that party leader
382:"'I got tired of stomach politics': Dennis Bloem dumps COPE"
447:
The Road to
Democracy in South Africa, Vol. 4 (1980-1990),
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7,500, which was paid by UDF supporters in the community.
421:. Vol. 408, no. 20203. Pretoria, South Africa:
626:. Vol. 466, no. 2677. Pretoria, South Africa:
820:"These are Cope's premier candidates for the elections"
550:"Minutes of proceedings of the Constitutional Assembly"
282:
ANC did not trust him because of his association with
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from 2009 to 2014 and before that he represented the
898:"Cope crumbles as party leaders turn on each other"
314:, having stood as COPE's candidate for election as
155:, Bloem defected from the ANC to COPE ahead of the
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318:, but COPE did not win any seats in the province.
528:"ANC senator admits to lying to court about gang"
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290:said Bloem's decision was "politically immoral".
167:Bloem was born on 4 August 1952. He lived in the
974:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa
768:"Cope heading back to court over MPs' housing"
36:Delegate to the National Council of Provinces
8:
999:Members of the National Council of Provinces
243:Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services
681:"Bloem 'sorting out' election-list mystery"
599:: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
470:"UDF founder, activist Moss Chikane, dies"
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175:and was an organiser for the ANC-aligned
872:"Bosasa ran DCS into the ground — Bloem"
576:"Here's is a little background about me"
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984:20th-century South African politicians
979:21st-century South African politicians
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380:Makhafola, Getrude (25 August 2023).
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241:. From 2004 to 2009, he chaired the
16:South African politician (born 1952)
712:"ANC: Bloem's move to Cope immoral"
331:Department of Correctional Services
201:Truth and Reconciliation Commission
58:7 May 2009 – 21 April 2014
923:Lekabe, Thapelo (30 August 2022).
623:Government Gazette of South Africa
418:Government Gazette of South Africa
14:
846:"'ANC turned against me' – Bloem"
450:. UNISA Press. pp. 765–813
208:Post-apartheid political career
630:. 20 April 2004. pp. 4–95
574:@DennisBloem3 (1 April 2019).
171:neighbourhood of Brentpark in
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254:Defection and NCOP: 2009–2014
227:National Council of Provinces
137:National Council of Provinces
147:from 1994 to 2009. A former
794:"Home not so sweet for MPs"
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113:African National Congress
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484:– via PressReader.
298:Party offices: 2014–2023
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876:The Mail & Guardian
798:The Mail & Guardian
772:The Mail & Guardian
716:The Mail & Guardian
685:The Mail & Guardian
177:United Democratic Front
163:Early life and activism
149:United Democratic Front
953:Mr Dennis Victor Bloem
495:Twala, Chitja (2012).
272:Congress of the People
133:Congress of the People
107:Congress of the People
743:"Dennis Victor Bloem"
308:next general election
304:2014 general election
268:2009 general election
219:1994 general election
157:2009 general election
955:at People's Assembly
530:. SAPA. 24 July 1996
262:published the draft
260:Electoral Commission
225:(soon to become the
501:Yesterday and Today
258:In March 2009, the
129:Dennis Victor Bloem
774:. 14 December 2009
316:Premier of Gauteng
878:. 1 February 2019
852:. 2 February 2019
800:. 4 February 2011
747:People's Assembly
476:. 19 October 2018
474:South Africa News
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687:. 5 March 2009
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503:(7): 101–120.
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929:The Citizen
824:BEE Chamber
386:The Citizen
264:party lists
90:Citizenship
963:Categories
660:City Press
364:References
327:corruption
280:Free State
153:Free State
145:Parliament
78:1952-08-04
509:2223-0386
391:30 August
335:Linda Mti
173:Kroonstad
143:(ANC) in
54:In office
934:10 April
908:10 April
882:10 April
856:10 April
850:Dispatch
830:10 April
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778:10 April
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595:cite web
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480:10 April
454:10 April
429:26 March
266:for the
169:Coloured
580:Twitter
559:2 April
329:at the
312:Gauteng
217:In the
199:During
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339:Bosasa
223:Senate
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505:ISSN
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