Johannesburg – Former ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule is prepared to fight to remain a member of the governing party after being given seven days to appeal his imminent expulsion.
The party said Magashule was charged with contravening the ANC constitution’s Rule 25.17.12 and Rule 25.17.3, read with Rule 25.17.12 and Rule 12.1 in general and specifically with Rule 12.2.20.
The ANC’s step-aside rule compelled him to step aside, as all leaders facing charges of serious misconduct should step aside.
On Wednesday, speaking in a press briefing at Luthuli House in Johannesburg, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula announced that the organisation’s national disciplinary committee (NDC) had found Magashule guilty following his attempt in May 2021 to suspend President Cyril Ramaphosa as party leader.
The NDC also recommended that Magashule be expelled.
“Following its hearing and deliberations held on May 23, 2023, regarding this matter, the NDC found Magashule guilty and resolved to afford him seven days from the day he was notified of its findings and asked to make a written submission to show cause as to why he must not be expelled as a member of the ANC," said Mbalula.
Speaking to The Star, Magashule confirmed that he would write to the NDC within the specified period with reasons as to why he should not be expelled.
"I can confirm that I will write and submit within the specified time given to me," said Magashule.
Political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe said the intention to expel Magashule had been long in the making.
“The current ANC leadership is bent on destroying the party. By the time Ramaphosa steps down as president of the ANC, there will be nothing left of it. This will be the fulfilment of a mission by anti-ANC forces to dislodge the party from power. These are the same forces that continue to financially back Ramaphosa’s presidency,” said Seepe.
He said that since taking office, the current administration had embarked on purging those elements that were seen as a thorn in the side of white monopoly capital.
“This, on its own, should not come as a surprise since most of its leaders have been co-opted to advance the interests of white capital. Magashule understands this very well. I don’t think he has any intention to beg to be included. A future leadership will, in all likelihood, reverse this self-defeating decision,” Seepe said.
The ANC said the written notice was delivered to Magashule’s residence to make sure that he received it.
“The written notice of the NDC’s findings was duly delivered to Comrade Ace Magashule’s residence. The ANC has a verifiable record of this,” Mbalula said.
Some news reports are reporting that the committee gave Magashule an opportunity to make an input before the findings were made, but he missed the deadline.
If this succeeds, it will be the first time that a former secretary-general of the party is expelled for misconduct.
Magashule was placed on suspension on May 3, 2021, after his refusal to abide by the party’s instructions to step aside while facing criminal charges in the High Court in Bloemfontein.
The Star