Me and comrade Cyril Ramaphosa wont allow any wedge drivers to come between us. We stay focused, and we are going to work together in the interest of the people of South Africa, says ?ANC secretary general Ace Magashule
ANC secretary general Ace Magashule says he will not allow any “wedge drivers” to destroy his relationship with President Cyril Ramaphosa, amid reports that he is involved in an alleged plot to overthrow the president.
Magashule was speaking on the outcomes of an ANC national executive committee (NEC) meeting last weekend, which called for unity within the party.
The meeting was expected to discuss Magashule’s meeting with former president Jacob Zuma at the Maharani hotel in Durban where the two are accused of discussing a plot to unseat Ramaphosa.
However at the briefing at the ANC’s Johannesburg headquarters on Monday, Magashule said the NEC emphasised the need to unify and left it up to the party’s top six to further discuss the alleged plot.
“The NEC discussed the alleged plot, and it was agreed that the matter will be discussed by the officials of the ANC and that the officials will report back with a view to lay the matter to rest,” Magashule said.
“Me and comrade Cyril Ramaphosa won’t allow any wedge drivers to come between us. We stay focused, and we are going to work together in the interest of the people of South Africa,” he added.
Magashule said now was the time to “plot against poverty” and “plot against divisions” in the ANC.
On other organisational matters Magashule said the NEC had resolved to establish two task teams; one for the ANC Youth League as it plans its national conference and another for the Umkhonto weSizwe military veterans who remain divided.
The task team set up for the youth league would assist the league to plan its national conference and ensure it is held before the end of the year after numerous postponements.
On the military veterans the party’s peace and stability sub-committee has been tasked with forming a joint task team between the Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) and the MK Council to mend relations between the two.
Magashule has been accused by some youth league leaders of interfering in the league’s affairs to ensure his preferred candidate, KwaZulu-Natal youth league secretary Thanduxolo Sabelo, becomes president.
But Magashule denied that setting up a task team would result in any interference of the youth league’s processes.
Magashule also addressed the the refusal by former North West premier and ANC provincial chairperson Supra Mahumapelo to be a member of the provincial task team (PTT) leading the province. Last week, the Mail & Guardian reported that, in a letter addressed to the party, Mahumapelo said his conscience could not allow him to be part of a PTT that had been set up to purge some party members.
“All means opposite to the democratic values of the ANC were used as a means to achieve this political objective, aimed at projecting some of us as pariahs in our own organisation,” Mahumapelo said.
Magashule said in spite of Mahumapelo’s rejection of the offer he would still remain a committed member of the ANC.
He said the party would give its full support to the North West PTT, despite some regions calling for the reversal of the NEC decision to disband the former provincial executive committee (PEC) led by Mahumapelo.
On recent critical remarks made by former ANC presidents Thabo Mbeki and Zuma, the party said it respected the views of its former leaders and would continue to engage them.
Last week a 30 page document believed to be authored by Mbeki surfaced, which criticised the ANC heavily on its stance regarding expropriation without compensation.
Zuma also attracted criticism last month when he suggested state capture did not exist because none of the three arms of the state has been corrupted.
Magashule said despite the views of its former leaders the ANC would stick to its Nasrec conference resolutions to expropriate land without compensation and to fight state capture.