No more secret meetings for ANC leaders - Magashule
Leaders in the ANC should know each other’s whereabouts at all times.
This is how the party has decided to proceed following claims that the party’s Secretary General, Ace Magashule was part of a plot to unseat President Cyril Ramaphosa, with his predecessor Jacob Zuma.
The two were captured in a photograph, along with ANC Women’s League Secretary General Meokgo Matuba and ousted ANC North West chairperson Supra Mahumapelo by Sunday Times, following what it claimed was a secret meeting to oust Ramaphosa. The ANC’s national executive committee tasked its leaders with investigating the claims last month.
Magashule, speaking to journalists on the side-lines of a special extended NEC meeting on Saturday, said the investigation had been finalised.
"We should know what's happening, I must know where the president is and the president should know where I am," said Magashule.
"If I'm going to have a meeting somewhere which might be construed as something else, it's better to inform the leadership and vice versa," added Magashule, who also celebrated his 59th birthday on Saturday.
Although the top officials of all provinces were invited to the special NEC, it was sparsely attended, with both the deputy president David "DD" Mabuza and national chairperson Gwede Mantashe absent from proceedings.
Zuma, however, who seemed to be in high spirits, attended the meeting and sat at the back of the room throughout.
"Moving forward we have decided people must have ANC meetings. People must engage, provinces must invite one another so that people and leaders don't meet in corners," explained Magashule.
He said the NEC was set to discuss the upcoming national elections and the integrity commission’s findings regarding the collapse of VBS bank, following a damning report which implicated some of the ANC’s officials in Limpopo, in the looting of the mutual bank.
Magashule also said members who instituted legal proceedings against the party would also come under the spotlight during deliberations.
"People are still going to court. We are not going to tire, in terms of showing them the light."
The ANC is expected to participate in an alliance summit meeting with its alliance partners between the 15th and 17th of November.
"We are going to discuss relations with alliance partners, including a reconfigured alliance... how we should work, how we should relate to one another and learn from the past," said Magashule.
The ANC has been at odds with its alliance partners during Zuma's tenure, with both Cosatu and the SACP calling for his removal while Cosatu’s members even refused to be addressed by the former leader.
The workers have gone on to say that Ramaphosa was not handed a blank cheque and should prove his leadership to them.
