Defiant Ace Magashule says he’s still ANC SG…. suspends Ramaphosa

Suspended African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Ace Magashule said that he would no longer remain silent as state resources were being used against him and his allies. He however did not name anyone by name.

A defiant Magashule said that he remained in office because he had appealed the party’s decision to suspend him.

He claimed, instead, that he had suspended Cyril Ramaphosa as he was facing allegations of vote-buying during his CR17 campaign to become party president. This was despite him not having a mandate from the national executive committee, which was the only body between conferences that could suspend a party president.

Magashule called Eyewitness News on Wednesday night to clear confusion over suspension letters addressed to Ramaphosa detailing his suspension.

Magashule argued that he remained in office because he was appealing the decision to suspend him and claimed that he had the backing of the NEC to suspend Ramaphosa.

“As the ANC, we have suspended Cyril,” Magashule said.

He confirmed that they were delivered on Monday to the president and deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte.

Magashule said that Ramaphosa must step aside over allegations of vote-buying during his CR17 campaign.

“Those who have allegations, those who are charged or suspected to have been involved [in corruption].”

He has accused his comrades of selectively enforcing Nasrec resolutions; he said that the 2017 conference decided that those facing criminal charges and those facing serious allegations must step aside.

“There is no conscience there. What happened to the conscience of everybody on the resolution of the ANC’s national highest decision-making body?” Magashule asked.

He said that he would no longer remain silent as state organs were being used against him and his allies.

“This is not the last case; we know what they are cooking. We know what they are cooking against Supra, we know what they are cooking against Lindiwe Sisulu, we know what they are cooking against some of the ministers.”

Magashule was never expected to quietly stand on the sidelines of Luthuli House. But his grip on the party will again be tested when the ANC’s national executive committee meets this weekend.

His opponents said that it was a battleground that he had already lost.

Meanwhile, the ANC has confirmed the authenticity of the letters and has appealed to Magashule to respect the party’s decisions. EyeWitness News