Ace faces action as ANC mulls ‘step aside’ policy

The fate of ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule and other party senior members may be decided this weekend as the party’s national executive committee (NEC) convenes early next month to consider its controversial “step aside” policy.

The NEC meeting was preceded by an NEC lekgotla that started yesterday and ends tomorrow, which brought together alliance partners, government officials and party in government spheres, civil society and traditional leaders.

The lekgotla will consider Covid-19, the economy, local government issues and international issues.

ANC spokesman Pule Mabe said the long-awaited NEC meeting would be held from 13 to 14 February and was expected to finalise the guidelines for the implementation of the “step aside” policy.

Step aside requires ANC members facing corruption and other serious criminal charges to voluntarily resign, otherwise be disciplined.

Magashule’s suspension, if it happened, could see a domino-effect on other party members facing criminal allegations.

Numerous other senior party leaders were neither suspended nor appeared before its integrity commission to answer for allegations of corruption or serious crimes.

Magashule has been resisting to subject himself to the decision which was taken at the party’s national elective conference in 2017 and reiterated by the ANC NEC late last year.

Magashule was supposed to appear before the integrity commission and subsequently step aside in line with the rule.

Since the Nasrec conference, all ANC members with allegations of corruption and other serious crimes were expected to step aside, a term used by the party for members to voluntarily leave the party until the allegations were investigated and their matters concluded.

Magashule was charged with corruption emanating from the Free State asbestos housing project in which hundreds of millions of rands were allegedly misappropriated.

Provincial government officials and a mayor were arrested and charged, along with Magashule.

As this is the year of local government elections, the ANC is also expected to take a decision on whether the polls should be held or not in the light of the ongoing Covid-19 infections and deaths cause by the virus.

Similarly, the party is expected to decide whether its national general council will be held and to schedule a date if it is feasible.

Indications are that the mid-term party gathering will be postponed to the second half of this year.

No political parties have been able to organise local government elections due to Covid 19 restrictions around gatherings and the need to ensure social distancing to prevent infections.

No gatherings must have more than 50 people, including funerals, and ANC conferences traditionally have no less than 2 000 people.