South Africa: ruling party ANC deeply divided
ANC Secretary General Ace Magashule in Johannesburg in February 2018. GIANLUIGI GUERCIA / AFP
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3 min
ANC number two Ace Magashule has been suspended.
This is the first time in the history of the party.
The ANC had been trying for months to get rid of its secretary general accused of corruption.
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It is a real showdown that has started within the ANC. The party, under the leadership
of President Cyril Ramaposa
, is trying to clean up its image in the face of voters disgusted by the cases of embezzlement. The ANC announced that all its leaders accused of corruption and other serious crimes would be suspended pending trial.
This concerns about fifty senior executives, including Ace Magashule, the most senior of them.
He is being sued for embezzling more than seven million euros of public money while he was head of the Free State province in 2014. Last month he was given an ultimatum, giving him 30 days to leave his post,
which he refused to do
.
This Monday, the ANC sent him a letter to suspend him from these functions.
Pitched battle within the party
This is a first in the history of this party and it has sparked open war within the ANC.
Ace Magashule, in fact, refuses to leave and has indicated that he was going to appeal this decision.
He even announced that he was suspending the head of state, Cyril Ramaphosa from his post as president of the ANC.
Which he obviously cannot do.
So he plays his future, but beyond that, it highlights a factional war within the ANC.
One represented by Ace Magashule and another by the head of state Cyril Ramaphosa who wants to clean up.
This showdown is not completely over.
Ace Magashule enjoys significant support, notably from former President Jacob Zuma, himself prosecuted for corruption.
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South Africa
Jacob Zuma
Cyril Ramaphosa
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