Congress of the People (Cope) cofounder Mluleki George says that the fledgling opposition party's problems are in its leadership.

"Our biggest challenge as Cope, is to be a strong organisation, to do what Cope was founded for, because the problems of Cope are not on the ground, the problems of Cope are in the leadership which, to me, even that one is a temporary problem," said George.

He was addressing the media in Polokwane on Tuesday evening where Cope's national executive committee was meeting provincial leaders, SABC radio news reported.

Cope had been plagued by infighting, with its former election head Simon Grindrod being suspended and former second deputy president Lynda Odendaal resigning last week.

The new opposition party's former spokesperson, Sipho Ngwema, on Tuesday published a letter to Odendaal on the social networking site Facebook, reported Business Day.

He called Odendaal a novice and said she was the "Sarah Palin" of Cope.

Former African National Congress veterans Mbhazima Shilowa, Terror Lekota and former Deputy Defence Minister George broke away from the ruling party late last year to form Cope.