The Ace train hits the ANC, plus five highlights from 'Vrye Weekblad'

Three months ago President Cyril Ramaphosa drew a line in the sand with regard to corruption. Then ANC faction politics neatly wiped that line out.

But now the unstoppable march of the inevitable can no longer be held back and, this morning, Ace Magashule is in the dock. 

The locomotive hit the ANC head-on and in slow motion this week. We sort of saw it coming, but it was starting to look like it had derailed somewhere along the way. 

But here the train is now. 

Magashule, the boss of Luthuli House, MD of the ruling party, secretary-general of the liberation movement, leader of the RET faction, former premier of the Free State, is entering the dock this morning as Accused Number 1. 

Magashule's court appearance is the beginning of the final chapter of the devastating decade of state capture, corruption and mismanagement that started with Jacob Zuma unseating Thabo Mbeki in 2008.

Read more about this and more news and analysis in this week's issue of Vrye Weekblad.

The alleged corruption of Magashule and other leading ANC figures from Zuma's inner circles directly led to the removal of poor black people's right to a better life. These people did not steal from rich whites, but from the poorest of the poor – all in the name of Radical Economic Transformation.

Ramaphosa has been looking forward to this day since he was elected at Nasrec in 2017, and was highly frustrated that it took so long to charge Magashule. 

Ramphosa's enemies are already plotting to humiliate him at the ANC's national general council, a policy conference that is held halfway between the five-yearly conferences, in six months' time.

It seems that Magashule does not have enough stature in the party and support in the country to pull the pillars down around him or to cut Ramaphosa off at the knees. But others may step in to weaken the president.

He will have to think on his feet to win the battles and keep his legitimacy.

Must-read articles in this week's Vrye Weekblad

>> Browse the full November 13 edition

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