ANC NEC meeting: Will Magashule win the tussle, refuse to step aside?

If the ANC national executive committee (NEC) decides to withdraw the “step-aside” resolution to please its compromised
leaders like secretary-general Ace Magashule, their decision will undermine the power of the branches or national conference
as the highest decision-maker.

This is the view of Nelson Mandela University politics lecturer and analyst Ongama Mtimka, who said it was anomalous of the
ANC to rely solely on legalities to apply its disciplinary measure and to enforce its moral and ethical values.

Mtimka said nothing should stop a political party from disciplining its members as long as the offence weighed down the party
in terms of its own policy.

“The ANC ought to take action in terms of its renewal and party disciplinary process and policies regardless of the legalities,” he said.

‘’There is a need for the party to align its conference resolutions with its constitution. It should ensure resolutions that dealt with membership eligibility and character of leadership are put in its constitution and, therefore, act accordingly.”

Had the ANC adopted membership eligibility and leadership character strictly as part of its constitution, many of its current
leaders would have been disqualified from their positions.

Mtimka was commenting as the ANC NEC sat for its three-day gathering yesterday.

Topping its agenda was whether the party should drop or continue to apply its step-aside resolution against members facing allegations of corruption.

The NEC, the second highest decision-making structure in-between conferences, will also debate reversing the Nasrec resolution about restructuring the Reserve Bank.

Sources said Zuma followers planned to raise the bank’s nationalisation as a strategy to strike a compromise, so the two issues
cancelled each other out.

Magashule refused to step aside in line with the 2017 party resolution at Nasrec that members facing allegations of corruption must do so.

Indeed, fire is expected as Magashule’s opponents, such as his nemesis, Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula, were likely to raise a storm about this. But Luthuli House officials believe Magashule has a point because legal advice says they had no power
to force members to step aside.

The NEC might want to persuade Magashule to step down, but with the ANC national general council and the local government elections on the way, he would likely resist to avoid being put out in the cold, which would minimise his political influence.

Magashule – who is out on R200 000 bail – has been charged with corruption and money laundering, among others, emanating from the Free State asbestos project.

The push to a compromise would be reinforced by the fact that President Cyril Ramaphosa is himself facing allegations around the funding of his ANC presidential campaign. His close ally, Zizi Kodwa, was recently mentioned in the Zondo commission for allegedly receiving bribes from a private firm, EOH.

When dealing with Magashule, the NEC could cite the cases of Ramaphosa’s aide, Khusela Diko, and former Gauteng health MEC Dr Bandile Masuku, who voluntarily stepped aside pending the conclusion of investigations against them. They face
allegations pertaining to PPE tender fraud in the Gauteng department of health.

The strength of the Zuma camp would be tested by whether the “step-aside” resolution was withdrawn and the Reserve Bank
nationalisation was allowed to continue. If these fail, it’s a victory for the Ramaphosa faction.

As both sides have a vested interest in the two issues, a compromise would involve ditching both, even if that would leave the
ANC naked.

– ericn@citizen.co.za

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