Carl Niehaus outside the Constitutional Court in Braamfontein. Picture: Neil McCartney
After Sunday reports that ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule’s supporters were reportedly planning a series of shutdowns this week against the national executive committee’s (NEC) decision for members to step aside when facing corruption or serious crimes within 30 days or face suspension, Carl Niehaus has rejected the report.
City Press reported that Magashule and former president Jacob Zuma’s allies want the shutdowns to coincide with the 30-day period given to Magashule and other party leaders by the NEC to voluntarily step aside pending the finalisation of their cases.
Niehaus the leader of the radical economic transformation (RET) group in Gauteng and Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans (MKMVA) spokesperson denied that himself or group members are involved in any type of shutdown, Jaracanda reported. He said he does not know where the story originated from but that the intent was to cause “division” and “factionalism.”
Niehaus added, however, that the meeting planned for Saturday with the ANC as reported was cancelled, not because of a warning by the party, as claimed by City Press.
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Niehaus further tweeted that the report was “malicious”, “fake news” and comparing the report to apartheid propaganda.
Magashule told the NEC, the ANC’s highest decision-making body in between conferences, he would use the time to consult with party former leaders on its “step aside” rules.
He is currently out on R200,000 bail on 21 charges of fraud and corruption for his alleged role in the multimillion-rand asbestos audit tender scandal in the Free State.
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