The Congress of the People’s (Cope) former parliamentary leader Mvume Dandala on Thursday said the party is being torn apart by infighting.

Dandala tendered his resignation as Cope’s leader in the National Assembly on Thursday.

Cope has become accustomed to senior officials abandoning the fledgling party. Allan Boesak stepped down as the party’s Western Cape leader last year. Second deputy-president Lynda Odendaal also jumped shipped.

Senior official Simon Grindrod resigned soon after last year’s general elections, when the party secured more than a million votes. But Dandala, yet another casualty of the organisation’s ongoing leadership struggle, said these problems are only further alienating supporters.

“They want change and they feel let down but the African National Congress. I am sad to say that now they are feeling let down by us,” said Dandala.

He warned deepening divisions could split Cope and are diminishing the party’s image.