By: Kaya 959 News
The ANC National Executive Committee is expected to hold a meeting over the weekend.
The meeting will discuss the drama surrounding the party’s step-aside resolution.
On Wednesday, the party confirmed that Secretary General Ace Magashule had been suspended in line with the resolution.
Magashule is facing criminal charges regarding the Free State asbestos tender during his time as premier of the province.
His suspension comes after he had resisted the implementation of the step-aside guideline.
ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe says the rule was designed to give members space to deal with allegations leveled against them.
Although ANC veterans have welcomed the decision to suspend him, and Veterans League President Snuki Zikalala says this is a step towards unity, some political parties say the temporary suspension is not good enough.
COPE’s Dennis Bloem says they also want to see the Hawks arrest him for his alleged involvement in the Estina Dairy farm project.
Magashule fights back…
Following his suspension, Magashule fought back with a letter saying that he was suspending the President of the ANC, Cyril Ramaphosa.
READ: Ace Magashule suspends ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa
He said he “summarily” suspends Ramaphosa “in full compliance with the relevant conference resolutions”.
“This is done in terms of Resolution 8.2 of the 54th National Conference, which states that, “… Every cadre accused of, or reported to be involved in, corrupt practices accounts to the Integrity Committee immediately, or faces DC processes….,and Resolution 8.3 that further provides for the suspension of, “… people who fail to give an acceptable explanation, or to voluntarily step down while they face disciplinary, investigative or prosecutorial procedures.
“You have been reported to the Serious Offences Directorate and the matter of sealed documents relating to your CR17 campaign prior and during the national conference is pending before our courts,” states the letter that Magashule wrote to Ramaphosa.
“As stated above it has been reported Cde President that you and your Nasrec Campaign team, raised money in an attempt to get the branches to finally elect you as President of the ANC. It is common cause that this matter has been ventilated in our courts and the documents related thereto remain sealed. This particular matter relating to the sealing of the documents is pending before our courts.
“Cde President you will recall that quite apart from this matter being reported to our law enforcement agencies, the ANC has lamented the use and role of money in its internal election at conferences. Based on the way forward emanating from the last NWC, a number of comrades face suspensions from the ANC, Accordingly, on the authority of the NWC and as a result of the allegations referred to here above, you are hereby temporarily suspended, with effect from 3 May 2021, from all activities of the ANC pending all the internal processes of the ANC , as well as the finalisation of the pending matters to which I have referred above,” reads the letter.
The party says Magashule needs to respect the decisions of the NEC and subject himself to the discipline of the organisation.
Political analyst Ralph Mathekga says the backlash that has come from this decision was expected.
