Ace going nowhere (for now), as ANC is ‘seized with the matter’ of his arrest

The ANC has left no doubt in anybody’s mind that its secretary-general, Ace Magashule, is not going to step aside, or be forced by the party to do so, despite the party’s stance on suspending members who face serious criminal allegations.

The ANC’s backtracking came as Magashule’s followers threatened violence in support of their hero, who is expected to appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Friday. He faces charges of corruption emanating from the R250 million asbestos audit corruption in the Free State.

Despite Magashule on Wednesday morning calling on ANC members to remain disciplined and instructing them not to pull up to the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Friday morning, the message apparently hasn’t gotten through to all his supporters.

Diehard Zuma supporter and Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina, in a tweet he has since deleted, called for “civil unrest” against the impending arrest of Magashule. Masina made it clear that despite the decision that members facing allegations must step aside, Magashule was not going anywhere and vowed to attend his court appearance.

Mzwandile Masina has since deleted this tweet, in which he called for civil unrest over the looming arrest of Ace Magashule.

“Arresting leadership based on apartheid laws does not make sense. I reject this arrest and will be in court with my SG to support him against this democratic disgrace. No stepping down is applicable until those documents are unsealed in court. No to selective prosecution,” he also tweeted.

Party deputy secretary- general Jessie Duarte told a media briefing Wednesday that the party had reviewed the NEC and national conference decision to suspend members with serious allegations hanging over their heads, because those suspended were often returned to their positions by the courts. She said they would seek legal counsel.

Both Duarte and party treasurer-general Paul Mashatile said Magashule stepping aside was not discussed by the party’s top 6, and he did not raise it either. They both said the leadership was still “seized with the matter”.

Duarte said they wanted Magashule to receive a fair trial and Magashule himself previously stated that no leader should be involved in corruption.

Observers said the ANC leadership, as a lower structure, had no power to reverse a reasonable conference resolution or an NEC decision. Worse still, the party had already acted by suspending several members facing allegations around Covid-19 PPE corruption, such as former Gauteng Health MEC Dr Bandile Masuku and Khusela Diko, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson.

Thus, the failure to apply the same rules to Magashule is seen as a case of selective morality.

This week, political analyst Prof Dirk Kotze from Unisa said Magashule’s arrest was an important milestone because he was considered “an untouchable”.

Magashule previously stated that he wouldn’t resign because he believed he was “not guilty until proven guilty”.

It has become common for ANC members to misinterpret the doctrine of “presumed not guilty” until proven otherwise as meaning “not guilty”. In fact, the non-guilty is a presumption which did not exclude the guilt, something that must be proven by the court.

Other Zuma/Magashule loyalists likely to be vocally in backing Magashule were NEC member Tony Yengeni, ANC Women’s League President, Bathabile Dlamini, and ANC Youth Task Team chair Tandi Mahambehlala. He is also expected to be backed by ANC MP Supra Mahumapelo, Eastern Cape’s Mlibo Qoboshiyane and Andile Lungisa, KwaZulu-Natal’s Supra Zuma, and all graft suspects in the VBS Mutual Bank looting.

All Roads Lead To Mangaung on Friday. Together with our comrades will be at the Bloemfonein magistrate’s court to support the #SecretaryGeneral of @MYANC, comrade @Magashule_Ace. #handsoffAceMagashule pic.twitter.com/JJIyPjooAo

— Carl Niehaus (@niehaus_carl) November 11, 2020

Former Umkhonto Wesizwe veterans affiliated to the MKMVA had been mobilised in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng in anticipation of Magashule’s arrest. Carl Niehaus, another staunch Zuma supporter and spokesperson for MKMVA, claimed that Magashule’s warrant showed that the country’s security forces were being used to fight party factional battles, an apparent reference to the Ramaphosa government.

Magashule’s warrant follows the arrest of his former Free State MEC for Cogta, Olly Mlamleli, three senior provincial government officials and three representatives of a company that we were all fingered in the R250 million Free State asbestos corruption. He was believed to have benefitted from the loot.

On Wednesday, Magashule’s arch-rival Mxolisi Dukwana led protesters outside the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court where Mlamleli and others appeared.

“We’ve had enough, we are tired of incompetence, we are tired of corruption. We want people to understand that all of us as members of the ANC are here to serve not to enrich ourselves.

“You have run away from accountability for long, now is the time for you to account. we are tired of Ace, we are tired of people like him,” Dukwana told the a crowd outside the court.

He accused Magashule of stealing ANC conferences, a reference to the numerous times that Magashule was re-elected as ANC Free provincial chairperson, with several conferences declared unlawful.

Read more: Edwin Sodi and co’s asbestos case postponed to February 2021

A small group of Magashule’s supporters also demonstrated in solidarity with the seven corruption-accused and called for the charges against them to be dropped.

Magashule is expected to hand over himself to a Hawks investigating officer prior to appearing in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Friday.

-ericn@citizen.co.za

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