Magashule conundrum gives ANC chance to rebuild

Possible expulsion is one direction that suspended ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule is headed after he continuously defied governing party orders – but that could be the first step towards cleansing and renewing the party.

The ANC recently made it clear that it would haul Magashule before its disciplinary committee should he fail to apologise to the party.

But judging by his persistence to defy every order from the party, Magashule was likely to fight on, which could lead to him being put through a disciplinary process and then fired.

But at the time of going to print, the ANC national working committee, which met yesterday, had not concluded its deliberation on the matter.

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It is a test for the ANC as to whether it had the backbone after it promised to discipline Magashule for not apologising for his letter suspending President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Magashule has already defied two instructions from the national executive committee, the highest decision-making body in between ANC national conferences, to step aside and apologise for the Ramaphosa letter.

Instead, he served the party with legal papers challenging the constitutionality of its step-aside rule and the ANC section 25.70 rule under which he was suspended.

Ramaphosa announced the NEC decision to order Magashule to apologise to the ANC members and structures on 10 May.

He said the letter Magashule wrote to suspend him was seen by the NEC as “not authorised” and “not mandated” by any structure of the movement and was complete “flagrant violation” of the ANC rules, norms and the constitution.

The NEC stopped short of hauling him before a disciplinary committee for putting the party into disrepute, instead ordering him to apologise.

But immediately after Ramaphosa’s announcement, Magashule told The Citizen he would not apologise but would challenge his suspension. He did exactly that and took the party to court.

At the weekend, in a rare public reaction on party specific matters, Ramaphosa described Magashule’s stance as “shocking” and “unprecedented”.

Magashule has also been criticised by others within the party.