‘Ace will have his own charade’ – Fikile Mbalula weighs in on Magashule’s new party

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has shared his thoughts on his predecessor starting his own political party, saying Ace Magashule now has “his own charade”.

Magashule was expelled from the ANC in June after being charged with misconduct by the party for illegally suspending President Cyril Ramaphosa. On Wednesday, he unveiled a new far-left party called the African Congress for Transformation (ACT).

The formation of the ACT sparked mixed reactions, with Mbalula saying: “It’s good Ace Magashule will have his own charade. What a man.”

ALSO READ: Ace Magashule’s new political ACT: Former ANC SG launches new party

‘Get-together of old order establishment’

He also took aim at ACT recruit Berning Ntlemeza, claiming he had “dealt” with the “rogue” former Hawks head before.

He labelled the new party as merely a “get-together of old order establishment who were sent to destabilise the ANC’s renewal project”.

“Ace Magashule’s chapter finally closed in the ANC. It has been long but we are finally here.”

Magashule claimed there had been a bitter war within the ANC, with the party moving away from its roots, and ACT would be a home for those who had been politically “abused”.

He alleged some ANC members had invited the ACT leadership to a “cadre assembly”, and hoped to convert some of his former colleagues.

Mbalula previously took shots at Magashule after the politician’s supporters burnt ANC T-shirts in protest at his suspension.

ALSO READ: Magashule’s political party a ‘last throw of the dice’ – analyst

“There is no god called Magashule in the ANC. There is no one who is going to kill the ANC, even those who wear party T-shirts saying they are ANC, only for them to go and burn the same T-shirts. Once you leave, you will see that people were with the ANC and not you as an individual.”

Mbalula told the party’s supporters he cancelled a meeting with Magashule after the protests, saying he should have called his supporters to order.

“I was with President [Cyril] Ramaphosa yesterday and he said to me ‘SG go and meet him’ but I don’t owe this man [Magashule] anything and even the ANC doesn’t owe him fokol. So he must forget about me, I won’t meet him. He must go do whatever he wants to do there. He is free.”