Lungani Zungu
When asked when he is going to apologise to President Cyril Ramaphosa, Ace Magashule just laughed.
“Let’s wait and see. We still have some time, so let’s be patient and see how things pan out,” he told Scrolla.Africa in a private interview.
The suspended ANC secretary-general was ordered to apologise to Ramaphosa after he bizarrely suspended the president from his position.
On Tuesday, the ruling party gave Magashule 48 hours to issue his apology after its weekend-long NEC meeting.
Magashule was suspended in line with the party’s step aside policy for members who are facing fraud, corruption and serious crimes.
Many have lambasted the ANC for continuing to give Magashule his R133,000 monthly salary despite the party planning a massive restructuring process that would see 50 percent of its staffers losing their jobs.
Magashule still maintained that it was his job to pull the ANC from the brink of disaster.
“My role as a party leader is to ensure that the ANC is united and becomes stronger,” he said.”
Magashule said the ANC step aside policy was used by some leaders to target their political opponents.
“This thing has to stop. If the members of the ANC do not speak out against this then our party will collapse,” he said.
His deputy and ally-turned-enemy, Jessie Duarte will act in his position for six months. She told the media on Tuesday that she hoped that Magashule would apologise.
Duarte said Magashule’s conduct was completely unacceptable.
This was yet another indication that Magashule’s key allies had dumped him in favour of Ramaphosa.
Even the majority of NEC members had turned against Magashule.
Magashule faced charges from the controversial R255 million asbestos tender issued during his time as premier of Free State.
Picture source: @magashule_ace
