Scandal-hit Ace poses a risk

UNTIL very recently, the ANC has been faced with the challenge of having a seated president, who was embroiled in many serious political and legal scandals.

These made the ANC unattractive to the electorate and political analysts believe this contributed to the party’s dismal performance in the 2016 local government elections.

The many legal challenges and scandals that former president Jacob Zuma had to contend with placed the ANC on the back-foot in Parliament.

The election of Cyril Ramaphosa promised a “new dawn” that would crack down on corruption and state capture. However, ANC delegates in Nasrec last year also elected Free State premier and Zuma ally, Ace Magashule, to the position of secretary-general.

Since he took over the reins at Luthuli House, Magashule has been embroiled in one political controversy after the other. Within the party, he is perceived as a divisive figure, who is sympathetic to the former president’s faction and is behind those plotting against Ramaphosa.

Magashule is also facing allegations of corruption after former economic development MEC Mxolisi Dukwana implicated him in a Gupta-linked R140 million deal.

As secretary-general, Magashule is responsible for the day to day running of the party, and these allegations will have a negative impact on the ANC’s ability to win votes in next year’s crucial elections.

We welcome Magashule’s statement that he is prepared to testify at the state of capture inquiry if he is called to do so. The ANC, however, needs to act quickly to deal with the negative public perceptions that Magashule’s many political scandals could bring to the party that is still trying to clean up its image.