The chasm between the two factions of the ANC has widened substantially with the arrest of ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule. Before the ink of the signature on the warrant of arrest had even dried on Tuesday, RET forces were mobilising.
Fightback plans first hatched when former president Jacob Zuma was given his marching orders – and which seemed to have dissipated slightly over the past year – have been dusted off and are once again kicking into high gear. This week’s events have created the perfect opportunity for disenfranchised leaders within the party and they will be quick to capitalise on it.
One of the first out of the gate was Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina, who tweeted shortly after news of Magashule’s arrest warrant broke: “You can arrest Magashule for all his sins, but not his ideas of Radical Economic Transformation (RET). We fear nothing, we have been on this road at some point and we fear nothing. The abuse of state organs to further political ends have short legs.”
He went on: “Arresting leadership based on apartheid laws does not make sense. I reject this arrest and will be in court with my SG (secretary-general) to support him against this democratic disgrace. No stepping down is applicable until those documents are unsealed in court. No to selective prosecution.”
Predictably, the uMkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) has also slammed the arrest, saying law enforcement agencies are being used as “tools for factional targeting”.
Magashule, a member of the ANC’s powerful top six, is facing corruption charged linked to a R255m asbestos tender in the Free State, which took place when he was premier of the province. He is the eighth person arrested in connection with the contract, and further arrests are expected.
Magashule is due to appear in the Bloemfontein high court on Friday. His is the latest in a slew of arrests of government officials in the last few months.
Shocking details have emerged of how the contract was allegedly brazenly used as a giant piggy bank for those with political connections. It is a perfect prima facie case study in government looting.
It is a perfect prima facie case study in government looting.
A member of the elite top 6 charged with corruption will hit a little too close to home for many politically exposed people who may in the past have been a tad too closely involved in government contracts. This is the most senior – and controversial – arrest in Ramaphosa’s cleanup campaign.
It is also a litmus test for Ramaphosa and his commitment to taking a hardline on corruption.
According to the ANC’s new rule, Magashule is supposed to step aside once criminally charged. This resolution – first adopted in 2017 – was reinforced at an ANC national executive committee (NEC) meeting on corruption in August and is a key element of Ramaphosa’s clean governance programme.
Yet after a meeting on Wednesday between Magashule and other top six officials, including President Cyril Ramaphosa and his deputy David Mabuza, it was announced he would not step down.
Magashule’s deputy, Jessie Duarte, and ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile said the SG would not be stepping aside yet, as the ANC national executive committee was finalising its framework on dealing with its members facing allegations of wrongdoing.
It has the ring of a convenient copout by the leaders of a party contesting about 95 by-elections this week, who need to appease supporters of both factions if they are to retain votes.
So it seems that if you have enough sway in the party, the rules don’t apply.
It will be difficult convincing any politicians implicated in wrongdoing in the future to fall on their swords for the greater good, when the top brass are not leading by example.
If Ramaphosa wants to retain any credibility as a clean leader of a legitimate democracy, it is imperative that the ANC is not perceived to be showing favouritism or bending party regulations to suit a political agenda.
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