NATIONAL NEWS - Embattled ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule has said that he remains in his post, that he is not going anywhere and the party president Cyril Ramaphosa has in fact been suspended.
This despite the ANC’s decision to suspend him, along with other party members charged with corruption and other serious crimes, who refuse to step aside while their cases are being heard.
Magashule was informed this week of his temporary suspension by his deputy, Jessie Duarte, after the grace period given by the NEC for him to voluntarily step down expired last week.
In a dramatic turn of events on Wednesday evening, a letter from Magashule’s office surfaced in which he ordered Ramaphosa to step down over allegations of vote-buying involving his CR17 campaign.
‘I’m still the SG’
Speaking out on Thursday morning, a defiant Magashule said he remained in his post until his appeal challenging his suspension has been heard.
“Nothing is going on with me, I’m still the secretary-general,” he told EWN in an interview.
Magashule, who faces fraud and corruption charges in the Free State, confirmed his letter to Ramaphosa was legitimate and claimed that it was Ramaphosa in fact, who had been suspended.
However, this has been disputed by several senior leaders of the ANC who said he does not have the authority to suspend the president.
Magashule also claimed his opponents were using state organs against him and his allies in the ANC.
“This is not the last case; we know what they are cooking. We know what they are cooking against Supra, we know what they are cooking against Lindiwe Sisulu, we know what they are cooking against some of the ministers,” he said.
ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe said issues involving the party’s step aside resolution would be discussed at its special national executive committee (NEC) meeting this coming weekend.
‘An act of desperation’
Magashule’s letter informing Ramaphosa of his suspension is a final act of desperation, according to a political analyst.
Analyst and author, Dr Dale McKinley, said Magashule’s decision to ‘suspend’ Ramaphosa, as well as a call on ANC members affected by the step aside resolution to defy the party, was an indication he has been backed into a corner to step down.
“I doubt it’s going to work at all because it’s essentially one person against the entire organisation, the constitutional structures and the national working committee. So, to me it’s a sign that he has come to the end of the road in terms of his options and it’s desperation because he has to know that this is not going to work,” McKinley told The Citizen on Thursday.
He added: “I think the intention was to try to create as much chaos as possible within the ANC by issuing instructions to others to ignore their suspension letters. This is also indicative of how things have shifted in the last several months with regards to these factional battles.”
‘A state of paralysis’
McKinley said the ANC has been in a state of paralysis for a while now over the implementation of the step aside resolution that emanates from the party’s 2017 national elective conference.
McKinley said now that the resolution has been finally implemented, he believes the ANC’s radical economic transformation (RET) faction – which has been associated with Magashule and his allies – has overplayed its hand and has no other option.
But he said the question that most South Africans would have on their minds, is whether Magashule and his factions will spilt from the ANC.
“It’s party divided but I think that in some ways the hand of the RET faction has been overplayed… it’s in crisis but it will probably move through this, it will be a bumpy road [and] they will get over this. I think what the question is for everybody is, what is Magashule and his faction’s next going to be?”
