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In his final political brief for the year, Ramaphosa addressed a number of topics including COVID-19, the country’s economic recovery plan, efforts to strengthen governance, address corruption, and the renewal of the ANC.
ANC Secretary General Ace Magashule. Photo: Abigail Javier / EWN
JOHANNESBURG – The president of the African National Congress (ANC), Cyril Ramaphosa, said on Monday that the five legal opinions requested on whether members implicated in serious crimes should resign were a serious accusation against the party.
In his final political brief for the year, Ramaphosa addressed a number of topics including COVID-19, the country’s economic recovery plan, efforts to strengthen governance, address corruption, and the renewal of the ANC.
READ MORE: ANC NEC Discusses Legal Advice for Dealing with Members Accused of Corruption
The president and his national executive committee (NEC) have been participating in a three-day virtual meeting where issues such as dealing with members facing serious charges are discussed.
This as well as those implicated in corruption, such as the general secretary of the party, Ace Magashule, and the president of the parliamentary committee, Bongani Bongo, have refused to resign.
ALSO READ: I’m not worried at all, says Magashule ahead of NEC meeting
Five legal opinions on the possibility of expelling these members have been produced and are part of these discussions.
Ramaphosa drew a line in the sand while presenting his political overview, urging members not to turn a blind eye when their comrades are wrong.
To say that if ANC members and leaders want to see a united South Africa, then they must begin to respect the decisions and political conscience of the party itself.
While praising some of the ANC’s achievements, including its response to COVID-19, he said there were areas where the ANC had fallen short, which had affected its credibility.
He listed corruption and factionalism as major problems in the ruling party.
The Ramaphosa NEC has the difficult task of trying to navigate through five legal opinions on what should happen to members involved in serious crimes.
@MYANC Political overview of the president @CyrilRamaphosa on the occasion of a three-day Virtual National Executive Committee Meeting that took place from December 6 to 8, 2020. #ANCNEC pic.twitter.com/prKjA6TF3t
African National Congress (@MYANC) December 7, 2020
African National Congress (@MYANC) December 7, 2020
HAMSTRUNG ON THE WAY FORWARD WITH THE CRIMINALLY ACCUSED LEADERS
At the same time, the ANC’s NEC appears to be stuck on the way forward regarding its 2017 resolution for criminally accused leaders to step aside.
This as themes of the decisive conference, which resulted in Ramaphosa being elected president of the ANC.
Numerous sources have counted Eyewitness news that while there might have been some tension at the beginning of the second day of the three-day NEC meeting, solid and mature debates were the order of the day, with one insider even claiming that there was “cold temperature” between comrades while they debated questions of integrity and morality within the party.
The ANC’s highest decision-making body has been struggling to make sense of its own resolution from the 2017 conference, even after affirming it at an August meeting focused on allegations of corruption against party members.
The NEC is expected to ask officials to review the issue of developing guidelines and a framework for resolution. This as some have accused them of passing the buck seeking legal opinions on the matter.
“We are here because the officials have not done what they were supposed to do. They need to go back and formulate a framework urgently, it’s not just about the NEC but it cuts through all of our structures, ”said a source from the NEC.
“It really is a form of misconduct on the part of our officials, not doing what has been entrusted to them, but outsourcing it,” added the party member.
The first whistleblower dismissed claims that Magashule’s allies had made some progress to sway the executive committee in their favor, claiming that many in the virtual meeting did not support the different legal views as they were seen as an outlet for the Secretary General had to take responsibility.
“One of those who spoke today mentioned that they had acceded to these resolutions before being arrested, suddenly they go to jail and there are problems with the same resolutions that they supported.”
Magashule, who is the former prime minister of the Free State, faces 21 counts of corruption over an asbestos project during his tenure. He has defiantly declared that he will not “step aside”, and his supporters also pleaded to be found innocent before being found guilty in a court of law.
“If the ANC takes corruption seriously, Ramaphosa will be the first victim,” said a second NEC member, considered a close ally of Magashule. Eyewitness news.
The leader, who ignored the president’s forceful political vision, said he would not shape Tuesday’s decisions when the meeting concluded, further accusing the party president of being factional and still having to answer questions about his victory in the 2017 conference.
“Those resolutions say that the ANC must deal decisively with corrupt activities, including those that use money to influence the results of conferences. Even those sealed documents … if they’re so innocent, why are you hiding them? We want to know who benefits from helping in this campaign, ”continued the second party member.
The second source also argued that taking an administrative action and calling for the suspension of Magashule would mean a judgment against him, saying this was not consistent with the ANC or the country’s Constitution.
This is an opinion expressed by some of the leading legal minds when the former liberation movement asked for advice on this matter.
To further complicate matters, some of Magashule’s allies have questioned what the party would do if a resolution for all those implicated in various scandals but not indicted such as Magashule, Bongo and the former mayor of eThekwini became a member of the KwaZulu-Natal provincial legislature, Zandile Gumede. Numerous leaders, some aligned with Ramaphosa, have been implicated in wrongdoing, and some, including ministers and deputy ministers, have profited from companies doing business with the state.
“Step aside, when you think about it together with the 2015 national general council position is too broad, everyone will be affected and no one will stay,” the second insider continued.
Another warned against the ANC going ahead with the resolution, warning that it would open the party to litigation as members would seek to challenge this in court and could bring further embarrassment to the ANC.
The last source said Eyewitness news that as the faction said to be close to the president had previously argued, it could not touch the reserve bank because there is no money and that pressing for land would drastically threaten food security, they believed that the forceful removal of Magashule would bring further division to the ANC and the country.
The NEC is expected to continue these discussions, as well as review its positions on economic transformation, establish the guidelines for the election of party councilors before the 2021 local government elections and the unity of their organization.
The NECmeeting will come to an end on Tuesday.
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