African National Congress (ANC) spokesperson Pule Mabe has said that suspended secretary-general Ace Magashule does not have the authority to make unilateral decisions, adding that no ANC member cannot be disciplined.
Mabe, who was speaking to television broadcasting channel eNCA, said this after Magashule refused to heed his suspension and instead suspended party president Cyril Ramaphosa over his CR17 campaign funding.
Mabe said it was imperative for members of the ruling party to understand the oath they took when they joined the party.
Watch, as Mabe speaks to eNCA
Pule Mabe, says there is no ANC member that cannot be disciplined. Mabe says it’s imperative for members to understand the oath they took when they joined the party. This comes after SG Ace Magashule issued a letter to party President Cyril Ramaphosa saying he is suspended. pic.twitter.com/yx2KTaRtYR
— eNCA (@eNCA) May 6, 2021
The ANC suspended the membership of Magashule until the finalisation of his court case.
This came as the party’s national working committee meeting on Monday, May 3, agreed that suspension letters should be issued to all those who faced formal charges or any other serious charges.
Magashule was currently out on R200 000 bail and charged with corruption, fraud and money laundering related to a Free State asbestos tender, dating back to his tenure as premier of the province.
In a letter dated May 3, ANC deputy secretary-general Jesse Duarte informed Magashule that he was temporarily suspended.
The letter said that Magashule would be prohibited from making public pronouncements.
ALSO READ: ANC chaos: Suspended Ace Magashule suspends Cyril Ramaphosa
“You many not engage in the mobilisation of ANC structures, any other organisations or individuals, including on your stepping aside and matters related thereto,” read part of the letter.
The letter also read: “You are required to update the office of the secretary-general on a monthly basis, regarding the progress with your case. The decision to temporarily suspend you will be reviewed by the NEC every six months or from time to time at your request.”
Magashule had refused to “step aside” or vacate his position within 30 days, as the ANC’s national executive instructed all members charged with corruption or other serious crimes to do at the end of March.
On Wednesday, a letter written by Magashule to Ramaphosa was leaked to the media. In the letter, Magashule informed Ramaphosa of his decision to suspend him in relation to the CR17 sealed bank statements.
Confusion
According to EWN, a defiant Magashule said he remained in office because he had appealed the party’s decision to suspend him. He also claimed that he had the backing of the NEC to suspend Ramaphosa.
Magashule said he would no longer remain silent as state resources were being used against him and his allies, the report said.
But according to Times Live, ANC national chair Gwede Mantashe said Magashule’s letter had no consequence.
“Decisions in the ANC are taken by structures not individuals… [the intention] is to cause confusion and he [Magashule] is doing someone’s bidding,” Mantashe was quoted as saying, without, however, elaborating on whose instruction Magashule was acting.
“You can’t take decisions on your own in an organisation. It has no consequence. You can’t as an individual write a letter suspending another letter. It means I can also write a letter to somebody else to suspend him. There is no organisation that operates in such a manner,” said Mantashe.
Picture: Twitter/@samkelemaseko
ALSO READ: Twitter weighs in on Ace Magashule’s suspension