SUSPENDED ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule is expected to publicly apologise before end of this week for trying to suspend President Cyril Ramaphosa without a mandate from structures of the organisation, according to Deputy Secretary-General, Jessie Duarte, on Tuesday.
Duarte was addressing the media on the party’s special national executive committee (NEC) outcomes.
This comes after the party’s NEC took a decision on Monday that Magashule should apologise for publicly for his ‘suspension letter’ to Ramaphosa.
Magashule was suspended from his position and party activities last week after failing to step aside from his position while he faces corruption charges in court regarding a R255-million asbestos audit contract while he was Free State Premier.
“We are confident the SG will rise to the occasion and will follow the dictates of the ANC constitution. We agreed there was no authority or mandate from any structure in the movement for such a decision to have been taken. The NEC agreed such conduct was completely unacceptable and a violation of the rules, norms and values of the ANC,” said Duarte.
“We have been instructed to request the SG to apologise publicly to ANC structures and members within a timeframe. If he fails to do so, the ANC will institute disciplinary procedures in accordance with the ANC constitution.”
Duarte said the party was hoping that Magashule will apologize before end of the week.
Duarte said the ANC implemented the step aside resolution and instituted temporary suspension of Magashule and many others.
“He wasn’t alone. So many others were suspended as well. We adopted terms and conditions; one is a Member of Parliament, another a Minister and many others. We don’t want to deprive people of livelihood,” said Duarte.
Meanwhile, Duarte has confirmed that the ANC was facing financial problems as alluded to by the party’s Treasurer-General Paul Mashatile during the NEC meeting on Saturday.
Duarte said this was due to funders pulling out as a result of the introduction of the Political Party Act by Parliament.
“It’s the ANC that asked for the political funding act and it’s difficult. We do have financial difficulties. We will have funders in our annual report. By law we can’t reduce staff by 50 percent. We want fair manner,” she said.
Duarte also clarified that she was still the Deputy Secretary-General of the ANC not the acting Secretary-General.
“I have seen the media narrative and it’s disempowering,” she said.
- Inside Politics
