Four times Cyril Ramaphosa and Ace Magashule have butted heads

The division in the ANC's leadership continues to dominate headlines just days ahead of the general elections.

Cyril Ramaphosa and Ace Magashule have been on opposing ends on a number of issues. Here are four must-read stories highlighting their contradictions:

Cellphone bugging

President Cyril Ramaphosa has refuted claims made by Ace Magashule on Thursday last week that his cellphone and those of other party comrades have been bugged. Magashule made these claims during an interview with eNCA, where he urged other party members to come out and not be afraid to speak up about this issue.

However during Newzroom Afrika's round table show on Thursday, Ramaphosa said he too suspected that his phone had been tapped at one point, but it was untrue. He also added that Magashule acted in anger when he made these claims. 

Gangster state

Ace Magashule urged ANC supporters to buy Gangster State: Unravelling Ace Magashule's web of capture, written by investigative journalist and author Pieter Louis Myburgh, in which he is alleged to be corrupt. He said that reading the book would allow people to know that it filled with "lies."

News 24 reported that Magashule did this in defiance of president Cyril Ramaphosa, who allegedly instructed  him not to talk about the book during party's gatherings. 

Reserve Bank

In January, Ramaphosa warned the party's top leadership against contradicting each other in public. He said this during his address on the ownership and independence of the SA Reserve Bank, urging the leadership to "speak with one voice", so that investors are'nt confused.

Ramaphosa and Magashule had been singing a different tune as far as the Bank is concerned. Ramaphosa assured investors that the bank would remain privatised, while Magashule said it would be nationalised. 

Ramaphosa's removal from the presidency

Ramaphosa allegedly took aim at  Magshule's involvement in plotting to remove him from his position as president. This followed a report by Sunday Times, which claimed that Magashule had allegedly been scheming with some members of the party to oust him.