Magashule meets with Mbeki, Motlanthe in final round of consultations

ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule has concluded his engagements with the party’s veterans over its contentious step aside resolution, meeting with former presidents Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe on Friday.

“Great engagements I had today with president Mbeki and deputy president Motlanthe,” Magashule said in a tweet as he faces pressure to step down from his post or face suspension from the ANC over his corruption trial in the Free State.

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Magashule has already held talks with former ANC treasurer-general Mathews Phosa and former president Jacob Zuma.

This week the 30-day grace period given by the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC) for all members who are charged with corruption or other serious crimes to voluntarily step down expired.

The party’s nine provinces have already submitted the lists of members who are affected by the implementation of the resolution that originates from the ANC’s 2017 Nasrec conference.

According to reports, Magashule has been thrown a lifeline by the ANC’s officials. The party’s national working committee (NWC) is expected to only meet on Monday and go through the lists of members who are affected by the step aside rule.

The ANC’s highest decision-making body in between conferences, the national executive committee (NEC), would then meet and make the final decision on the matter.

It has also been reported that the top six national officials are expected to meet on Sunday with Magashule.

The ANC secretary-general faces fraud and corruption charges emanating from his tenure as Free State premier over a multimillion-rand asbestos audit contract scandal.

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