ANC’s ‘dodgy’ statement defending Ace Magashule slammed on social media

The ANC released a statement on Sunday slamming what they called “fake news front page propaganda” from the Sunday Times and City Press about the party’s secretary-general Ace Magashule.

The two publications had simply written reports about some of the content included in investigative journalist Pieter-Louis Myburgh’s new book, Gangster State: Unravelling Ace Magashule’s Web of Capture.

In the book, Magashule is accused of rampant corruption, ruthless gangsterism and exaggerating his struggle credentials.

Several prominent South Africans have reacted to the ANC statement.

News24 assistant editor Pieter du Toit called it “hysterical,” adding that it “ignores substance and fires buckshot in every direction”. He was also one of several users who noted that Magashule had reportedly refused to answer 60 questions sent to him by Myburgh on the allegations in his book.

Social commentator Maggs Naidu called the statement “puerile,” “amateurish” and “dodgy as hell”.

READ MORE: Ace Magashule accused of exaggerating his struggle credentials

“It looks like the work of the most corrupt crooks on the planet. It’s a total embarrassment,” he added.

Veteran journalist Anton Harber tweeted, “When ANC adopts this tone and cites Stratcom, and does not address the issues, you know you have hit the spot.”

Former Financial Mail editor Barney Mthombeni said the ANC “doesn’t even attempt to deny the allegations”, which he took as “confirmation that they’re true”, adding that “Magashule from the outset conveniently latches on Cyril’s name as a shield to defend himself”.

702 radio host Eusebius McKaiser tweeted that people should not comment on the book if they had not yet read it.

Minister of tourism and prominent ANC member Derek Hanekom, meanwhile, appeared to contradict the statement in a tweet.

“This has not been discussed at the NEC. I am not prepared to simply dismiss all the allegations as lies. Nor would most of my NEC comrades,” he said.

A few users even brought up the possibility that the statement may have been written by Magashule himself, with one user saying Magashule “controls communication since Zizi Kodwa left” and another saying that the ANC secretary-general “writes statements for the ANC” himself.

(Background reporting, Kaunda Selisho)

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