By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
@AlonSkuy.
ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule has been suspended from the party after he failed to step aside.
The ANC’s national working committee (NWC) finalised his fate earlier this week, when he failed to honour the party’s step aside rule at the end of the 30-day deadline.
Magashule’s suspension letter, dated 3 May and signed by his deputy, Jessie Duarte, says the NWC had received a report from the party’s top six officials through a team led by ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile on the proposed terms and conditions regulating the participation and conduct of members during the period that they step aside voluntarily.
Duarte informed Magashule that he was temporarily suspended, effective from Monday, until his corruption trial is wrapped up.
The rules say that the secretary-general or provincial secretaries will invoke Rule 25.7 of the ANC constitution, which is the suspension-if-charged clause in the party’s constitution.
It reads: “Where a public representative, office-bearer or member has been indicted to appear in a court of law on any charge, the secretary-general or provincial secretary… if satisfied that the temporary suspension of such public representative, office bearer or member would be in the best interest of the organisation, may suspend such public representative, elected office-bearer or member and impose terms and conditions to regulate their participation and conduct during the suspension.”
Magashule was charged and released on R200,000 bail in November after he appeared briefly in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on 21 charges of corruption and fraud, alternatively theft and money laundering relating to a multimillion-rand asbestos audit contract scandal in the Free State.
His suspension means he may is not allowed to carry out any of his duties as secretary-general, represent the organisation publicly, or make any public pronouncements. He is also prohibited from mobilising any ANC structures on matters both related or unrelated to his stepping aside.
The decision to suspend one of the most senior officials in the ruling party has been dragging on for several weeks since the ANC made the decision at the end of March.
Magashule had become increasingly isolated as he tried to drum up support. It was reported on Tuesday he had has been left isolated among his fellow top six officials in the ANC’s national executive committee.
This is a developing story, and will be updated as more information becomes available.