WATCH: Ace’s days are numbered, says analyst

“Ace Magashule and his cronies from the radical economic transformation (RET) group will put up a fierce fight, but his days in the ANC will soon be numbered,” says political analyst Dr Oscar van Heerden.

Van Heerden’s prediction follows the high drama that unfolded during the virtual meeting of the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC) over the weekend.

Magashule has dominated domestic news headlines lately because of his refusal to voluntarily step down while corruption charges levelled against him – related to the multi-billion rand Free State asbestos project – are dealt with.

As a result, he was temporarily suspended last week, in line with an ANC resolution that all party members officially charged with corruption should step aside.

On Saturday, because of his suspension, Magashule was removed from an NEC virtual meeting. Although Magashule is suspended with full benefits, Van Heerden believes his continued defiance could see him being fully suspended from the party.

Former state security minister Bongani Bongo was also kicked out of the meeting because he too faces fraud and corruption charges and has been suspended. Bongo’s charges relate to Mpumalanga land deals, says Van Heerden.

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According to Van Heerden, Bongo and Magashule are among a handful of ANC members suspended as a result of the party’s stand-aside resolution.

“People were very unfair towards President Cyril Ramaphosa, accusing him of indecisiveness, but he has now proved that he is a strategist with a bigger plan in mind,” says Van Heerden.

Van Heerden predicts that more supporters of the RET group will join the ranks of the Ramaphosa group in the coming days, which will strengthen the president’s hand.

Watch: Journalist Izak du Plessis’s interview with Van Heerden