Zukile Majova
The future of Ace Magashule as secretary of the ruling party takes centre stage again when the ANC National Executive Committee meets this week.
At the end of last year, the ANC National Integrity Committee recommended Magashule should step down or be suspended from his position.
On Thursday and Friday the ANC bigwigs are expected to discuss this recommendation.
The likelihood is the party kicks the can down down the road to the National General Council in April. This is a battle for the soul of the ANC, and is unlikely to be resolved quickly.
A standing conference resolution of the ANC says any office bearer or public representative of the ANC officially charged with a criminal offence should protect the integrity of the party, and step aside until cleared by the courts.
Magashule has been charged with fraud and corruption stemming from the R255 million asbestos tender saga dating back to when he was premier of the Free State.
He is due in court on February 19.
His run-ins with the law have now cast doubt on the seriousness of the ANC’s message of rooting out corruption at municipal level.
If no action is taken against Magashule, he’d be expected to lead the ANC campaign ahead of the local government elections later this year.
In a previous interview with Scrolla.Africa, Magashule told us only ANC branches could remove him from his position.
He made a veiled threat to his comrades who were fighting to remove him.
“Some people want to use the structures of the ANC to deal with their opponents. I stand for unity and the branches entrusted me with the role of uniting the party when they elected me in 2017.”
Last August President Cyril Ramaphosa wrote a letter to ANC members to help get rid of corruption within the ANC.
” … we now need to draw a line in the sand.
“We need to act urgently, we need to be decisive and we need to demonstrate a clear political will.
The time has come for the ANC to be unflinching in restoring the values, ethics and standing of our organisation.
“Our deeds must, always, match our words.
“We cannot as the ANC rightfully call ourselves leaders of society if we fail to lead the people in eradicating corruption from our own ranks.”
Picture source: @Magashule_ace
