Ace’s party now a joker in the pack

Life outside the ANC is not going as well as the ruling party’s former secretary-general Ace Magashule thought it would. Magashule’s African Congress for Transformation (ACT) party was hit by the mass resignation of its Mpumalanga leadership last week. The party’s provincial executive committee members cited Magashule’s dictatorial leadership style as the chief cause for their exit.

On top of that, the Constitutional Court on Friday ruled against ACT, the Labour Party of South Africa and the Afrikan Alliance of Social Democrats in their bid to contest the upcoming elections.

The ruling only means that Magashule won’t be on the ballot paper in provinces in which his party missed the deadline for submitting the names of candidates.

Magashule has launched an extensive election campaign.

That he won’t appear on the ballot paper in four of the provinces – his party will contest in Gauteng, North West, Free State, Eastern Cape and Northern Cape – is a huge blow for his comeback hopes.

The verdict follows an appeal by the three parties to overturn an Electoral Court decision that barred them from the elections.

Independent political analyst Goodenough Mashego said the collapse in Magashule’s party was inevitable.

He said: “Ace is not a national leader type. He was elevated by unhappy delegates from Mpumalanga to the ANC secretary-general position.

“For him to open a structure in Mpumalanga was a gamble because he does not have a chance there – he is unknown to the people in the province.”

When Magashule launched his new party he insisted it – unlike the ANC – was a party for the people.

“One wonders how the people feel that he couldn’t even get to submitting their candidates names right, something most of the other parties managed to do?” said Mashego.