The ANC has called for discipline after Ace Magashule’s extraordinary reaction to his suspension from the party, claiming a unilateral power to remove President Cyril Ramaphosa from office on unspecified corruption charges.
After being served with his own suspension, having defied the national executive committee’s (NEC’s) resolution that officials facing criminal charges step down, the secretary-general issued his own statement on Wednesday night saying he was “summarily” suspending Ramaphosa. He said he had such powers as secretary-general though he didn’t specify what legal or organisational process he had followed.
Magashule said this was done “in terms of resolution 8.2 of the 54th national conference”.
According to his letter, the resolution stated that “every cadre accused of, or reported to be involved in, corrupt practices accounts to the integrity committee immediately, or faces DC processes”. Another resolution provided for the suspension of those who failed “to give an acceptable explanation, or to voluntarily step down while they face disciplinary, investigative or prosecutorial procedures”.
While the statement initially sparked social media speculation that it was fake, the ANC said in a statement that it noted Magashule’s letter to Ramaphosa. It reaffirmed that the decision of the party on Magashule’s status stood. Spokesperson Pule Mabe said the NEC would respond to Magashule’s letter “accordingly” at its meeting over the weekend.
“The ANC request that the secretary-general respect the decisions of the NEC and subject himself to the discipline of the organisation.”
Business Day reported on Monday that Ramaphosa had the backing of the rest of the ANC top six on Magashule, who agreed that he must be suspended immediately pending the outcome of his fraud and corruption case. This was affirmed by an extra ordinary decision of the party’s national working committee (NWC) late on Monday night.
Magashule’s suspension letter was signed off by his deputy, Jessie Duarte, who was communicating the decision of the NWC. In her letter, Duarte informed him that he had failed to comply with a party resolution that ANC members facing formal criminal charges should voluntarily step aside by the end of April, as was decided by the NEC late in March.
The suspension letter also states that Magashule may not represent the party, make public statements or mobilise structures for the party — conditions that if Magashule defies could see him face disciplinary action that could lead to expulsion from the ANC.
The letter set in motion a steep fight by Magashule and his loyalists for his reinstatement to the key post. The secretary-general is a powerful official who controls the day-to-day running of the party and has a significant role to play in elective conferences at all levels of the organisation — from branch general meetings to national conferences.
It is an unwritten rule in the ANC that it is nearly impossible to win a national conference without the backing of the secretary-general. Neutralising Magashule by suspending him takes him out of the running to influence branch general meetings, as well as regional and provincial conferences in the run-up to the ANC's national conference, set to take place in December 2022.
In the short term, it also removes him from the driving seat in preparations for the ANC’s upcoming midterm policy review meeting, the national general council. It is a significant step for Ramaphosa’s reform project, indicating that no party member — irrespective of the position they hold — would escape sanction for bringing the party into disrepute and is an important move in the party's uphill battle against corruption.
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