ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa has confirmed that the party’s Secretary General Ace Magashule has agreed to appear before the ANC’s Integrity Commission on Saturday.
He was speaking at the end of an ANC National Executive Committee (NEC), which was held from Sunday, the 6th to Tuesday the 8th December.
“It is in this context that the meeting welcomed Secretary General’s decision to present himself to the Integrity Commission on 12 December 2020. The Officials shall process the outcomes of this engagement and the determination by the Integrity Commission and report to the NWC & NEC,” said Ramaphosa.
“We will fully implement the mandate of the 54th National Conference and the decisions made by the NEC, understanding that these are fundamental to the renewal of the organisation and to the restoration of the credibility of the movement among South Africans.”
Ramaphosa said the meeting had an extensive discussion on the implementation of the resolutions of Conference and the decisions of the NEC on corruption and other forms of wrongdoing.
“We will be consistent and even-handed in the application of these decisions and will ensure that fair and due process is followed.”
Ramaphosa also said ANC members must use maximum discipline and refrain from “unbecoming” behaviour that denigrates the party.
Magashule faces corruption allegations related to a R255 million contract to audit homes with asbestos roofs while he served as Premier of the Free State province.
He has denied wrongdoing and was granted bail in the Bloemnfontein Magistrate’s Court last month.
His supporters have accused Ramaphosa and others of using ‘State Organs’ to target Magashule and remove from his second most powerful position in the country.
Since he took over, Ramaphosa has been trying to clean up the ANC’s image after a decade of scandals under Zuma, and in the wake of the multi-billion rand COVID-19 PPE scandal.
In August, the ANC’s NEC resolved that party officials charged with corruption should take leave while allegations are investigated, but Magashule has yet to step aside from his post in charge of day-to-day party affairs.
The party’s integrity commission can make recommendations to the NEC on whether a party official should be stripped of duties.
The NEC has at times ignored those recommendations.
Ramaphosa said ANC officials would draw up guidelines that would apply when party members were charged with, convicted of or reported to be involved in corruption and other serious crimes.
“The ANC needs to draw a very clear line in the sand between the organisation and those who steal,” he said.
(SOURCE: INSIDE POLITICS)
