A former ANC Youth League activist, Num was appointed to Edna Molewa's Executive Council after the 2004 general election.
She was firmly aligned to Mbhazima Shilowa in Cope's internal leadership struggles and led the party's caucus in the North West Provincial Legislature between 2009 and 2014, when she declined to seek re-election.
[15] Amid the leadership succession battle that followed, Num was rumoured to be considering leaving Cope; according to News24, she was offered a job with the police in mid-2010.
[16] However, Num remained with Cope and in December 2010 stood on Shilowa's slate for election to the party's national leadership.
[18][19][20] In the resulting power struggle, Num was one of several Cope members whom Lekota's faction claimed first to suspend (in January 2011)[21] and then to expel (in March 2011).
[22] In early 2014 – by which time Shilowa had conclusively departed Cope – the Mail & Guardian said that Num was again rumoured to be in discussions about rejoining the ANC ahead of the 2014 general election.
[14] However, Num said that she would complete her term as Cope leader in the provincial legislature, because, "It's better to be kicked out by Terror [Lekota] than to desert voters who got me into this position.