Veterans: ANC stalwarts may be a shrinking pool (neither Ahmed Kathrada nor Andrew Mhlangeni are still alive) but elders who will hear Ace Magashule’s appeal could include Thabo Mbeki (right). (Alexander Joe/AFP)
The fate of ANC secretary general Ace Magashule and other leaders affected by the step-aside resolution now lies in the hands of a group of party veterans selected by the national working committee (NWC), now dominated by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s faction.
The Mail & Guardian has been told that the majority of the party elders who will form part of the independent body that will hear appeals come from the so-called 101 veterans.
The veterans who will be determining Magashule’s future include former South African ambassador to the UN Josiah Jele, former ambassador Barbara Masekela, activist-turned-entrepreneur Vusi Khanyile, former justice minister Brigitte Mabandla and former deputy justice minister Johnny de Lange.
The 101 veterans were one of the first party groupings to speak out publicly against former president Jacob Zuma, calling for him to resign.
In 2017, the veterans published For the Sake of Our Future, berating the Zuma leadership for moving away from the founding values of the ANC.
Their call for a consultative conference to be held before the contested December elective conference in 2017 was shot down by the Zuma-led national executive committee (NEC). The ANC instead dedicated two days of its July policy conference to deal with organisational renewal. The stalwarts boycotted the event.
During his consultations leading to his suspension, Magashule, a strong ally of Zuma, was told to step down by former presidents Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe.
An ANC leader in the NWC said while this component was likely to raise the ire of some NEC members sympathetic to Magashule, they were the best choice to review appeals.
“There are already people who want to add names who are friendly to them, but we have the numbers that can squash any attempts to derail this process,’’ the Ramaphosa-aligned member told the M&G.
The leader added that the names would be submitted this weekend at the special NEC, after which the NWC will finalise the list.
With his faction dominating the NWC and NEC, Ramaphosa is expected to have the support of the party leaders this weekend. Among the critical issues on the agenda will be the recommendations of the integrity commission, which affect some in the Ramaphosa faction.
Deputy finance minister David Masondo is one such leader, who had an adverse finding against him after he was found to have used the Hawks to intimidate his former girlfriend. The integrity commission recommended that Masondo step down from his position. He has appealed.
A second party leader said Magashule and his allies had run out of options. A letter suspending Magashule written by his deputy Jessie Duarte surfaced on social media platforms on Wednesday.
The letter says Magashule is barred from carrying out his functions as secretary general and representing the party in any forum. The letter was accompanied by the step-aside guidelines and informed Magashule that he “may not make public pronouncements on matters related to the organisation”.
It also warned Magashule against engaging in any mobilisation of ANC structures or individuals or organisations on any issue, including his suspension and step-aside instruction.
Retaliating, Magashule sent his own letter suspending Ramaphosa and indicating that he would appeal.
Confirming the letter to the M&G on Wednesday night, he said he had the authority to suspend Ramaphosa because he was still the secretary general of the ruling party, adding that the president had been implicated in potentially corrupt acts.
ANC national chair Gwede Mantashe said the Luthuli House head had no authority to suspend Ramaphosa: “This is an organisation. You don’t wake up angry and take a decision and communicate it. This is of no consequence because we were at the NWC on Tuesday and this decision was not discussed.”
ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe said the ANC would only respond to Magashule after the NEC meeting.
Mabe appealed to Magashule to abide by the party’s organisational discipline while the process around his suspension was playing itself out.
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