Uninvited Ace Magashule removed from ANC NEC meeting

The African National Congress (ANC) has had a tumultuous week, to say the least. Now, suspended ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule was expelled from the party’s virtual committee meeting on Saturday, 8 May 2021.

Ace Magashule booted from ANC NEC meeting

An uninvited guest

The NEC was convened to discuss the party’s step-aside resolution, as well as the appeals process for members implicated by the policy, and Magashule’s refusal to follow the party’s instruction.

Magashule – who was dealt a temporary suspension earlier this week – was removed from the party’s National Executive Committee [NEC] meeting when members of the meeting saw him on the Zoom call.

Magashule was reportedly not invited to the meeting and members claimed the meeting was “not properly constituted” with him present. This follows after a decision was taken on Friday to exclude him from the meeting.

‘Not part of the meeting anymore’

Magashule on Friday said he would attend the meeting regardless and claim that he still holds office. He also took the opportunity to slam the NEC as a faction led by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

While the impact of his removal from the virtual NEC meeting is not yet clear, Magashule told IOL that he was removed, and claimed that he called the meeting on Thursday.

“I am the one who convened that meeting […] The meeting started at 10 am and at 10:10 they noticed I was part of the Zoom meeting and pressed the button. I am not part of the meeting anymore, that is all I can say”.

Defiant Magashule

Magashule this week hit back by referring to the suspension as “fatally flawed”. He threatened to suspend Cyril Ramaphosa as party president and questioned Deputy Secretary-General Jessie Duarte authority in removing him from office.

Moreover, he called on members of the party to “act with revolutionary dignity and respect, and to uphold the ANC Constitution”. Magashule added:

“None of us should bow to illegal and unconstitutional actions. In doing so we must protect the unity of the ANC as leader of society. […] Furthermore, these letters are based on a selective and factional interpretation of the relevant resolution”.

While the FW De Klerk Foundation said it welcomes Magashule’s “long-overdue” suspension from the ANC, Carl Niehaus said he would be standing with Magashule and claimed the secretary-general was being targeted by the party.