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A powerful lobby, supported by President Cyril Ramaphosa, to pressure ANC Secretary General Ace Magashule to step aside failed at the last meeting of the year of the ruling party’s national executive committee.
ANC Secretary General Ace Magashule will not step away from his job, even after being accused of corruption in November.
Instead, the last meeting of the year of the ruling party’s national executive committee (NEC) agreed with Magashule’s decision to appear before its Integrity Commission on Saturday, December 12.
The findings of the Integrity Commission are not binding. He is likely to enter 2021 still in his role, despite the 2017 party conference resolution and an August NEC statement saying members accused of corruption should step aside.
Ramaphosa has prioritized party unity over standing firm against corruption. The detractors (who had predicted a showdown) were wrong, he said as he delivered the final set of party decisions for the year. “We have not been torn apart … the unity of the ANC is paramount if we are to lead the radical transformation of our society and our economy,” Ramaphosa said.
He also announced that the ANC had decided that outstanding reparations should be paid to the victims of apartheid, as determined by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Unpaid repairs are a festering sore in South Africa.
And Ramaphosa warned that the country could “walk through a valley of death” if attention was not paid to the resurgence of Covid-19 that is now gripping the Eastern Cape, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. “[We have to] change behavior now and prevent the resurgence we see on the horizon. What we do as a society over the next month will be crucial to preventing a second wave [of Covid-19 infections]. ”
He said the party had revived the idea of a state pharmaceutical company, as the Covid-19 vaccine had demonstrated the need for manufacturing capacity in South Africa and the rest of Africa. The UK became the first Western nation to make the vaccine available to the public. Russia and China began mass vaccination of the most vulnerable populations earlier.
Ace 1 – Ramaphosa 0 – for now
As Ramaphosa donned the mantle of unity and commitment over the outcome of the NEC meeting, Magashule won the day.
Three legal opinions presented at the meeting said the party could not force the leaders to step aside, as this was contrary to the constitutional legal principle of innocence until proven otherwise.
“While legal opinions are important, and as a voluntary organization, the ANC has a duty to follow its resolutions and decisions of the NEC. There will be no dilution of the positions we have taken. We will fully comply with the mandate of the 54th conference [the step-aside rule] and NEC decisions (see chart) – [these are] fundamental to the renewal and credibility of the ANC, ”said Ramaphosa.
But since the resolutions were made more than 100 days ago, and the ANC headquarters had not developed guidelines on how the rule of passage to the side will be implemented, the question of whether the party secretary general will do so has been raised in question. of judgement.
“We are confident that we can still implement the resolution of our conference,” Ramaphosa said. He also said that the party “condemns in the strongest terms the burning of the ANC insignia outside the court where SG [Magashule] appeared in Mangaung [after he was charged with corruption in November] as well as inflammatory language [used]”.
Magashule supporters carried out a campaign similar to Jacob Zuma’s outside the court, burning T-shirts with Ramaphosa’s image and also ANC flags. That day, neither the general secretary nor his political supporters (some of whom are in the party’s NEC) tried to arrest the arsonists.
The ANC NEC meeting also “confirmed our appreciation for the work of the Zondo commission. We affirm our call to all members to cooperate and refrain from unnecessary attacks on DCJ. [Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo] and the work that the people of South Africa have asked him to do. “
Former President Jacob Zuma and his supporters have fired barbs at the Zondo commission, which summoned him to appear in November 2020. He left the hearings without being allowed by Zondo and now faces two additional summons to appear to testify on separate dates in January. and February 2021. Zondo has also submitted an application at the Constitutional court to force Zuma to testify without the right to remain silent.
The NEC only meets again in January. DM
