Defiant ANC boss 'suspends' Cyril Ramaphosa from party

A desperate ‘fight-back’ by loyalists of former South African president Jacob Zuma has seen a doomed effort by the ruling party’s suspended secretary-general, Ace Magashule, to in turn ‘suspend’ President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Magashule’s announcement early today that Ramaphosa was being ‘suspended’ over suspect donations to his campaign to win party leadership in 2017 followed the announcement late Wednesday by the African National Congress' (ANC) top brass that Magashule had been suspended.

But, as desperation grows in the pro-Zuma camp within the ruling party, which has been steadily losing power since Ramaphosa came to the fore as party leader in early 2018, there are clear signs that the Zuma faction intends to go down fighting.

Magashule hit back at ANC's leadership, which has now openly turned its back on him, Zuma and some other former high-flyers also entangled in their own corruption-related legal troubles – claiming that it was he who had the power to suspend party members and that he was doing so to party president Ramaphosa.

Significantly, Magashule’s angry response to his suspension came from his personal email account, not the ANC’s. In it he claimed he was using his powers as secretary general to “summarily” suspend Ramaphosa “in full compliance” with party policy.

Magashule also vowed to appeal his “fatally flawed” suspension.

“I am immediately, and formally, appealing this unconstitutional suspension. In terms of the ANC Constitution, my suspension is thus wholly suspended, until my appeal has been heard, and its final outcome announced,” he said.

He has been barred by the ruling party’s top brass from addressing public rallies or handling party-related matters while he is suspended and facing criminal charges.

They are keen to prevent the sort of counter-leadership ‘activism’ demonstrated by other already-ousted Zuma-ites, such as Supra Mahumopela, former leader of the ANC in North West province, who was recently suspended from the party for five years for trying to stir up a rebellion against party leadership.

The ANC’s day-to-day leadership body, the national working committee, met Monday and made a final determination to suspend the party’s powerful secretary-general in light of Magashule’s refusal to step aside from his post until his legal problems are over.

Magashule is facing numerous corruption-related charges due to his alleged involvement in a failed multi-million dollar asbestos removal project in his home province of Free State while he was premier there. 

ANC responds

ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe said that while the “ANC notes the letter written by the Secretary General Comrade Ace Magashule to the President of the ANC Comrade Cyril Ramaphosa”, the ANC’s top decision-making bodies’ determinations on the Magashule suspension matter stood.

“The national executive committee (NEC) will be meeting over the weekend and will accordingly respond to the Secretary General,” he added.