Zuma trial widens party divide
IN THE week that was and with the ANC increasingly torn apart by its step-aside resolution – which compels all members indicted for serious offences to vacate their positions – the appearance of former president Jacob Zuma before the Pietermaritzburg High Court provided a push-back platform for those against it.
The latest fight-back against the resolution comes at a time when it is already facing a dual assault from branches and regions that want a special conference to be convened to discuss it.
The resolution’s biggest casualty so far, Ace Magashule, the suspended but defiant secretary-general of the ruling party, has approached the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg to challenge it.
This has left the ruling party torn apart and facing a backlash from some of its members for splashing money on four top, expensive legal minds to defend the court action brought by Magashule, who was suspended after refusing to voluntarily step aside as he is charged with corruption.
Outside the Pietermaritzburg High Court where Zuma had appeared for his corruption trial on Monday, the resolution was thrashed to the extent that its legitimacy without the direct input of branches was reduced to nil.
First to thrash the resolution was Carl Niehaus, the national executive committee (NEC) member of Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA), who put his foot down and said no one could ban Magashule from the ANC.
He said only branches had the legitimate right to remove Magashule.
“Comrade Ace’s blood is black, green and gold. No one can use trumped charges against comrade Ace. The ANC is the people’s organisation and the ANC is only as strong as our branches. When the people speak, then our leaders emerge. We know at the 54th national conference (Nasrec) that comrade Magashule was elected as the secretary-general of the ANC.
“No one, I repeat it, comrades, no one, no one can remove the secretary-general of the ANC but the members of the ANC.
“If they want to remove comrade Ace, they can call a special national elective conference and we know, we know, what the outcome of that conference would be. Our secretary-general will emerge victoriously,” he said. Niehaus took a jab at the CR17 faction, which is up against the RET faction, saying the step-aside resolution should also apply to those facing serious allegations like “vote-buying” during ANC conferences.
There have been allegations that the CR17 fund was used to bribe delegates and swing them during the
Nasrec conference, a claim that ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa denied when he appeared before the Zondo Commission a few weeks ago.
“We will not allow our leaders to be targeted while others are let off the hook,” said Niehaus.
“We can’t have some of our leaders charged with criminal charges while there are serious allegations against others, including one of the most serious allegations in the ANC, that of vote-buying.”
Niehaus has previously not been apologetic about his support for Magashule and his opposition to the step-aside resolution. Concurring with Niehaus, ANC NEC member Tony Yengeni said the suspension of Magashule was worrisome and party branches must stand up now and be counted in the fight.
“The SG is here, he is going to greet you. We know some people would want the SG not to speak, we are aware of that comrades, we are aware. But let me be clear, comrades, we will not fight long battles ... and go to prison and come here and ban comrades from speaking, basically a banning order under a democratic system, comrades,” Yengeni said and later dared the party to discipline him for speaking out.
He gave a chilling warning that the fight would not be taken out of the ANC, but it would be fought within it.
“Comrades, we are going to take these people inside the ANC toe to toe, we are not going to create another platform outside the ANC.”
Magashule also fired back at his detractors, saying that no one could ban him from the ANC.
“I will be very short because I am currently suspended, but I can assure you, nobody, nobody under a democracy can ban me, nobody will remove the ANC from me. I will not form any party, I will die in the ANC. I will never leave the ANC. I will never be banned from the ANC,” he defiantly said.
In an unusual move, the ANC did not respond to the media when asked what it was going to do with Magashule, who had violated his suspension by addressing ANC members.
Instead it issued a statement to confirm to the media that it had received Magashule’s court papers and was studying them.
Later in the day, the ANC issued another statement to say it had appointed four senior counsel to defend the legal challenge by Magashule.