Step aside or get pushed: Final curtain for Ace Magashule

There is no turning back – Ace Magashule and those facing corruption or other serious crime charges will have to step aside otherwise the ANC will summarily suspend them.

This became clear in uncompromising new ANC guidelines and procedures on the step aside policy, which were unveiled by the party this week.

Instead of deviating from the national executive committee instruction to Magashule and others to pack up and go home within 30 days until their criminal cases were concluded, the document reiterated the original rule.

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The guidelines state the implementation of the Nasrec national conference resolution on ANC credibility and integrity, with special focus on corruption and fighting crime and graft in the party.

It further said those who failed would be summarily suspended. According to the document, a member, office bearer or public representative who has been indicted to appear in a court of law on a charge of corruption or other serious crime must immediately step aside, pending the finalisation of her or his case.

Stepping aside may include a member relinquishing, forgoing or refraining from exercising her or his rights, duties and responsibilities as a member, office-bearer or public representative.

“After deciding to step aside, the member, office bearer, or public representative must approach the secretary-general or NWC [national working committee],the provincial secretary or PWC [provincial working committee], whichever the case may be, to inform them of her or his decision to step aside,” it said.

This comes as Ramaphosa stamps his authority – with pressure put on party deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte to apologise to Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, and secretary-general Ace Magashule forced to step aside within 30 days, or face summary suspension.

Duarte had to apologise to the judge after she claimed the “testimony at the Zondo commission is an onslaught against the people”.

Magashule could use the fact that the guidelines were still being circulated to provinces for comments and inputs on their implementation.

The ANC top six, through a team lead by the treasurer-general, will consolidate and process these inputs and report to the party NWC. Odds were steeped against Magashule as the decision put him on the back foot.

His situation became even more precarious as the majority of party elders he has to consult on the step aside matter were neither his allies, nor would they encourage him to disobey.

Magashule was expected to seek counsel of past ANC leaders Thabo Mbeki, Kgalema Motlanthe, Matthews Phosa and Jacob Zuma before the expiry of the 30- day deadline.

Mbeki, Motlanthe and Phosa would obviously encourage him to lead by example and do so. But his ally and hero, Zuma, himself in trouble with both the ANC and the state, would like to see Magashule following in his footsteps, especially with his own issues against the ANC top six.

Seeking counsel from the party stalwarts was Magashule’s idea, perhaps hoping to buy time, while formulating a response to the NEC 30-day ultimatum.

But Ramaphosa was taking no chances and moving with speed to consolidate his power in the party. His allies – Dr Gwen Ramokgopa and the newly appointed ANC national youth task team chair Nonceba Mhlauli – have been brought into the NWC and participated in its meeting on Monday.

Mhlauli is also an automatic addition into the NEC, following her deployment to the NYTT, an interim structure representing the ANC youth league.

As the league convenor or president, she automatically became a member in the ANC NEC, along with the president of the ANC Women’s League.

ericn@citizen.co.za