ANC lekgotla: Will NEC address the elephant in the room?

The fate of ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule and other party senior members may be decided soon as the party’s national executive committee (NEC) meeting convenes to consider its controversial “step-aside” policy early next month.

The NEC meeting will, however, be preceded by this weekend’s NEC lekgotla that brings together alliance partners, government officials in government spheres, civil society and traditional leaders, from Friday until Sunday. On this lekgotla’s agenda is the effects of Covid-19, the economy, local government and international issues.

ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe said the long-awaited NEC meeting would be held on 13-14 February and is expected to finalise the guidelines for the implementation of the “step-aside” policy. This policy requires ANC members facing corruption and other serious crimes allegations to voluntarily resign, otherwise be disciplined.

Since the Nasrec conference, all ANC members with allegations of corruption and other serious crimes over their heads were expected to step aside, a term used by the party for members to voluntarily leave the party until the allegations were investigated and the matters concluded.

Magashule has been resisting calls to subject himself to the decision, which was taken at the party’s national elective conference in 2017 and reiterated by the ANC NEC last year. Magashule was supposed to appear before the party’s integrity commission and subsequently step aside in line with the rule.

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Magashule’s suspension, if it happens, could see a domino effect on other party members facing criminal allegations against them. Numerous other senior party leaders before him were neither suspended or appeared before its integrity commission to answer for allegations of corruption or other serious crimes.

Magashule was charged with corruption emanating from the Free State asbestos housing project, in which hundreds of millions of rand were allegedly stolen. Provincial government officials and a mayor were arrested and charged along with Magashule.

As this is the year of local government elections, the ANC is also expected to take a decision on whether the polls should be held or not, in light of Covid-19 infections.

Similarly, the party was expected to decide whether its national general council would be held this year and to schedule a date, if it was feasible. Indications were that the mid-term party gathering would be postponed to the second half of 2021.

Political parties have been unable to conduct campaign activities due to Covid 19 lockdown restrictions around gatherings. No gatherings must have more than 50 people, including funerals, and ANC conferences traditionally have no fewer than 2000 people.

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