Magashule and allies in hot water over ‘divisive and defiant behaviour’
Ace Magashule has found himself in trouble against with the African National Congress (ANC) following the comments he made in KwaZulu-Natal last week Monday.
Magashule defied instructions not to address party supporters when he spoke outside the Pietermaritzburg High Court where former President Jacob Zuma appeared briefly in the arms deal corruption trial.
The ANC secretary-general was gagged by the party when he was suspended.
Magashule told supporters outside the court that it would take a lot more to ban him from the party.
National Executive Committee (NEC) member, Tony Yengeni and Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) spokesperson, Carl Niehaus bolstered Magashule’s comments on stage, a move that riled up other ANC leaders.
ANC deputy secretary-general, Jesse Duarte confirmed on Tuesday that the trio’s conduct would be investigated.
“The National Working Committee (NWC) condemned the unbecoming, divisive and defiant behaviour of cadres secretary-general Magashule, Tony Yengeni, and Carl Niehaus during the recent court appearance of former President Jacob Zuma,” she said after the latest NWC meeting.
“The NWC instructed the National Presenter to look into these breaches of discipline and to investigate charges in line with the ANC Constitution and Code of Conduct.”
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Magashule threatened to bring KZN to a standstill when Zuma returns to court on Wednesday, vowing to rally the Free State to come out in their numbers.
He later reneged on the threat.
“I think he has withdrawn his call to do that which is a good thing and we congratulate him for doing that. He also said he was doing that because of concerns (over) Covid-19,’ Duarte said.
“Of course we are concerned when leaders go on a platform and they use that platform to raise issues they were not successful in raising in the formal structures of the ANC and ventilate and create and the impression that is perhaps their own perspective that there is a broader group of people that feel the way that they do.
“It is for that reason that we’ve asked the presenter to look at the people and to investigate and to make sure that there is a possibility of a misdemeanour,” she added.
Magashule is yet to face off with the party in court over his suspension.
