No explaining ANC’s Ace U-turn

One of the least surprising things in South Africa today – apart from the fact it is Thursday – is that the ANC has decided to row back on its decision that any comrade accused of corruption or related offences should step aside while investigations continue.

That was a decision taken not long ago by the organisation’s national executive committee (NEC) … but clearly, as in the George Orwell novel Animal Farm, some animals on the ANC farm are more equal than others.

Thus, secretary-general Ace Magashule is allowed to hold on to his position, whereas others – including Gauteng health MEC Bandile Masuku and presidential spokesperson Khusela Diko – were removed as soon as they became linked to allegations of fraud in Gauteng involving tenders for personal protective equipment for medical personnel in the Covid-19 emergency.

The announcement of the special dispensation for Magashule came from the mouth of his ally Jessie Duarte, deputy secretary-general. That can be read as a direct challenge to President Cyril Ramaphosa and his supporters, who were behind the NEC decision to remove suspects from their positions as probes progress.

It also shows that Magashule and others in the “fightback” faction loyal to former president Jacob Zuma still believe they can win back the organisation they effectively lost at the Nasrec conference in December 2017. All of the excuses – and scapegoats – are being rolled out by Magashule and his cohort, confirming they learned well the lessons of Bell Pottinger that distraction, disinformation and deflection are the best ways to muddy the social and political waters.

Prosecutions for corruption are now being likened to a political witch-hunt, with apartheid being invoked at every opportunity for good measure. That is why it is comforting to know our courts still do their job.

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