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It will be interesting to see if NEC members afford Duarte the same respect they showed Magashule
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The interim role assumed by ANC Deputy Secretary-General Jessie Duarte will, over the next few weeks, serve as a litmus test of how serious the governing party is on matters of gender equality.
It will be interesting to observe whether many of the ANC national executive committee (NEC) members and those at branch level afford Duarte the same respect they have shown suspended Secretary-General Ace Magashule.
In his closing remarks on Tuesday after the NEC concluded its meeting, ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa maintained that the NEC “condemned the unwarranted attacks” on Duarte and staff members stationed at Luthuli House. He said the committee reaffirmed its confidence in Duarte and “supports her in carrying out her duties as per the ANC’s constitution”.
The ANC’s suspended Secretary-General Ace Magashule may now be caught in a trap after the National Executive Committee (NEC) decided he must apologise for his actions of the last week. At the same time, his allies might be in further trouble after the decision by the NEC to investigate who is responsible for the leaks of its meeting over the past few days.
Magashule could now be in more danger than he was before this meeting, with his suspension merely an opening gambit. He can’t blame others as the predicament he finds himself in appears to be the result of his own actions, bad strategy and avoidable mistakes.
On Saturday Magashule, who was suspended because he is facing corruption charges, was booted out at the start of the meeting while one of his allies, Bongani Bongo – who is also facing corruption charges – was ousted later in the day.
First published in the Daily Maverick 168 weekly newspaper.
The next seven days will be crucial for the ANC as it decides the future of various leaders charged with corruption, including Secretary-General Ace Magashule.
This weekend the ANC’s Top Six officials are meeting to consider submissions from provincial structures as to which party members should step aside from their positions.
The 30-day window period for Magashule and other corruption-accused ANC leaders to step aside expired on Thursday, 29 April.
Speaking to Newzroom Afrika on Friday morning, ANC Treasurer-General Paul Mashatile said the governing party would hold a special national executive committee (NEC) meeting on 8 May to deal with the submissions on the step-aside guidelines.