Looking at the way the ANC leadership conducts itself as far as the step-aside ruling is concerned, I am of the opinion that the previous weekend Ace Magashule, instead of Sisi Ntombela, should have been assigned the task of welcoming President Cyril Ramaphosa to the City of Roses on his oversight visit with his cabinet.
This organisation makes a mockery of the Nasrec resolution by setting a bad precedent in as far as dealing with those facing graft charges is concerned. Here I'm specifically talking about ex-eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede and suspended SG, Magashule.
This will forever haunt the party in the run-up to the elective conference later this year. Can the ANC hierarchy, including the integrity commission, justify their decisions in allowing Gumede to stand for the election of regional chair in KZN while still faced with corruption charges over alleged solid waste graft at eThekwini metro?
This will further fuel factional tensions and will make the RET forces feel vindicated that charges against their members are politically motivated. That Ramaphosa has won Mpumalanga recently is still going to count for nothing because the province with the largest membership is busy consolidating their slate.
Don't be surprised, therefore, to see Magashule rising from the ashes to contest against Ramaphosa in December. He now has a strong case based on how Gumede's matter was handled. And Zweli Mkhize's recent clearing by parliament's ethics committee after the DA pressed charges against him further enhanced RET lobbyists to go with him against Ramaphosa.
These members that run amok in the ANC ranks have identified a loophole in this feeble step-aside policy and are now using it to their own benefit. How can they elect someone who is facing murder charges? The ANC should have done the obvious and told all their suspended members not to partake in any election or party's public activities, the same way they banned their SG.
We are indeed headed for interesting times ahead.
Samuel Radebe, Heilbron
Recent events within ANC will haunt the party later
Looking at the way the ANC leadership conducts itself as far as the step-aside ruling is concerned, I am of the opinion that the previous weekend Ace Magashule, instead of Sisi Ntombela, should have been assigned the task of welcoming President Cyril Ramaphosa to the City of Roses on his oversight visit with his cabinet.
This organisation makes a mockery of the Nasrec resolution by setting a bad precedent in as far as dealing with those facing graft charges is concerned. Here I'm specifically talking about ex-eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede and suspended SG, Magashule.
This will forever haunt the party in the run-up to the elective conference later this year. Can the ANC hierarchy, including the integrity commission, justify their decisions in allowing Gumede to stand for the election of regional chair in KZN while still faced with corruption charges over alleged solid waste graft at eThekwini metro?
This will further fuel factional tensions and will make the RET forces feel vindicated that charges against their members are politically motivated. That Ramaphosa has won Mpumalanga recently is still going to count for nothing because the province with the largest membership is busy consolidating their slate.
Don't be surprised, therefore, to see Magashule rising from the ashes to contest against Ramaphosa in December. He now has a strong case based on how Gumede's matter was handled. And Zweli Mkhize's recent clearing by parliament's ethics committee after the DA pressed charges against him further enhanced RET lobbyists to go with him against Ramaphosa.
These members that run amok in the ANC ranks have identified a loophole in this feeble step-aside policy and are now using it to their own benefit. How can they elect someone who is facing murder charges? The ANC should have done the obvious and told all their suspended members not to partake in any election or party's public activities, the same way they banned their SG.
We are indeed headed for interesting times ahead.
Samuel Radebe, Heilbron