Gloves come off in fight for future of Mandela’s ANC

The gloves came off Friday as South Africa’s fight against corruption placed the most powerful ‘Zuma-ist’ in the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party in the dock on 21 charges of fraud, money-laundering and corruption.

Ace Magashule, secretary-general of the ‘party of Mandela’, stood as 'accused number eight' in the magistrate’s court in Bloemfontein – significantly, the birthplace in 1912 of the ANC – charged with receiving kick-backs and ignoring corruption while he was premier of Free State province.

He is among the first persons to be charged under powerful anti-corruption legislation which goes after all involved, including those in power who turn a blind eye.

Failure to doing anything about a non-productive $16.5 million tender to remove dangerous asbestos from homes of the poorest during his premiership is among the charges facing Magashule, who still occupies the most powerful organisational position in the ruling party.

After several supporters of former president Jacob Zuma had spoken, Magashule, who had been granted $13,000 bail, told several hundred enthusiastic supporters outside the court that “there is a right time, and the right time is now”.

He was directly referring to the potential ouster of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the next opportunity, which is in May 2021, when ANC branch representatives meet.

It was to the branches that Magashule was appealing in claiming ANC “back” from those who he said had “infiltrated” it, a direct reference to Ramaphosa.

He told his fans, some of whom had earlier been burning ANC t-shirts with Ramaphosa’s face on them, that he was “elected by the branches” and only if “the branches” of the ANC told him to step aside would he do so.

That was in answer to media questions around the ANC’s undertaking that any accused person within its structures would, once formally charged, step aside.

Not so for Magashule, who remains the most powerful of the pro-Zuma faction in the deeply divided ruling party.

No branches should dissolve, even if the ANC leadership said so, he added – the point being that it is widely held that it was ‘fake members in fake branches’ which got him elected to his current position.

In Free State, as premier, he was known for sourcing funds for impoverished students and others and is still widely popular there.

Magashule showed his appeal during this week’s by-elections, going door-to-door and helping the ANC reverse a long losing streak in local election campaigns.

He personally handed out t-shirts, maize meal and oil while stumping for his party.

Outside the court, Magashule reverted to the Zuma faction refrains of ‘radical economic transformation’ and ‘white minority capital’ – despite both phrases being discredited as cover for thievery.

He hit populist high-points with calls for the immediate nationalisation of the Reserve Bank and mines – another jab at Ramaphosa, who made his fortune in mining in the 1990s – along with expropriation of (white-owned) land.

He was glad of now being charged as it meant that he could name names and tell all about who had received “funds into their accounts”, he said.

In a clear bid to claim the ANC for himself – potentially, if his faction wins, he could become the next ANC president and then leader of South Africa – he said the party belonged to no one person.

It belonged “to the masses” and they were represented by the branches, he proclaimed.

Come next May, the branches would have their voices heard – the threat being that Ramaphosa will be summarily removed “by the party” at its National General Council.

Magashule implied that his being charged was the ‘final straw’ in Ramaphosa’s campaign to clean up corruption “no matter who was implicated”.

The key target to date has been Zuma, who has avoided facing 783 counts of fraud, money-laundering and corruption since his former “financial adviser” was sentenced to jail-time on exactly the same charges.

In a few weeks, Zuma is back in the dock as that trial gets fully underway.

Before then he faces the ire of Deputy Judge President Raymond Zondo in the state capture commission – ironically empowered into life by Zuma and because of the runaway thievery which cost the SA economy some $60 billion.

Tired of Zuma’s claims of mysterious ailments or bias on his part, Zondo has issued a summons to Zuma to appear before him on Monday November 16 and answer for misdeeds to which he is allegedly connected or had knowledge of.