By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Suspended ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule has vowed to go all the way to the Constitutional Court to clear himself of corruption charges, and said he will “forever adore” former president Jacob Zuma.
Speaking to Newzroom Afrika on Friday after the high court dismissed his application to set aside his suspension from the ANC, Magashule stressed that he had not been found guilty of any offence and wanted to clear his name in court.
Magashule argued that the suspension meant his rights had been trampled on, but the court ruled that he had been afforded a hearing before the ANC suspended him.
He said the court got it wrong on this aspect. He said he was not afforded a fair hearing before his suspension.
Magashule was suspended based on the ANC’s step-aside rule after being criminally charged in connection with the Free State asbestos eradication tender worth millions of rand.
He said there was more rot in the party that he will reveal when he gets his day in a court of law.
Magashule revealed that there was a time when the party summoned all the premiers to a meeting with the Guptas back in 2009.
Although he did not mention the contents of discussion in that meeting, he hinted that a lot of people may be implicated in dodgy business dealings.
“The ANC in 2009 when all of us were elected premiers called a meeting and they brought the Guptas to that meeting.”
“All the eight premiers of the ANC met the Guptas at the Sharaton hotel, guess who was there?”
Magashule remains adamant that the charges he is facing are politically motivated.
“Please do not push me to talk about some of the things which I can actually talk about in a court of law.”
The case where I am accused number 13 is deliberate, I am not deliberately made accused number one because there are no charges against me.
He said the aim was to keep him at bay, alleging that lot of people had been approached to forge testimonies against him, but all will be revealed in court.