CHARLES MOLELE
ANC members and other aggrieved residents from the Free State on Monday demanded the resignation of ANC Secretary General Ace Magashule for his role in the Gupta-linked Estina Dairy Farm scandal and the 2014 asbestos audit tender, worth a whopping R255 million.
The protesters alleged Magashule ‘collapsed’ the province during his tenure as Free State premier.
They called on the ANC’s National Working Committee (NWC) to take action against all those implicated, saying Magashule was not alone when the alleged grand-scale looting of the controversial Estina dairy farm and the asbestos projects were made.
The protesters also demanded an interim relief for victims of corruption because beneficiaries of the two projects were now unemployed, destitute and living in grinding poverty.
The angry protesters handed over a memorandum of demands to ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe, who accepted the petition on behalf of the party.
“We have received your concerns. I will be reporting to the leaders of the African National Congress,” said Mabe.
Last month, several high-profile government officials, including businessman Edwin Sodi, were arrested by the crime-busting unit, the Hawks, for their role in the R255m housing scandal in the Free State.
ANC leaders close to Magashule claimed he was next in line to be arrested.
The Hawks, however, denied there was any warrant of arrest issued against him.
The protest march on Monday comes barely a week after supporters of Magashule gathered outside Luthuli House in defence of the ANC Secretary General, saying ‘State Organs’ were being used to remove him because of his drive to have resolutions adopted at the party’s 2017 elective conference implemented.
Magashule’s supporters also called for the much-awaited national general council to take place, where they are hoping to challenge President Cyril Ramaphosa for failing to implement conference resolutions such as the nationalization of the South African Reserve Bank and land expropriation without compensation.
Political analysts believe that the ANC will face an uphill battle in the 2021 Local Government Elections, saying disunity and factionalism will certainly hurt the party.
Already, ANC sources say behind-the-scenes lobbying for the governing party’s top posts in 2022 has already begun, leading to concerns that this would shift focus away from the ANC’s programmes and priorities, which included improving the ailing economy, fighting poverty and improving healthcare.
The sources said KwaZulu Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala has been approached to run for the position of ANC chairperson at the party’s next elective conference.
Supporters of Lindiwe Sisulu, on the other hand, are understood to have approached Human Settlements Minister to contest for the position of ANC president.
Inside Politics also understands ANC Treasurer General Paul Mashatile has also been approached to run for the party’s top position.
(COMPILED BY INSIDE POLITICS STAFF)
