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ANC, Magashule to go head-to-head in court

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The African National Congress (ANC) will go head to head with its suspended Secretary General, Ace Magashule in the High Court in Johannesburg. Magashule wants the court to nullify his suspension and the party’s step-aside resolution.

The embattled Secretary-General also wants the court to declare the step aside resolution of the party as unconstitutional.

“The National Executive has been conflicted on this matter; they have been the judge, prosecutor, the judiciary, the evidence leader and presenters. You can’t factionalise the resolutions of the national conference and want to take away the power of the branches in Nasrec,” Magashule said.

Ace Magashule’s temporary suspension from the ANC:

The case has the party’s unity project crumbling.

In conversation with suspended ANC Secretary-General, Ace Magashule:

ANC faced with resistance

Magashule believes that the party’s Nasrec resolution for leaders implicated to step-aside is designed to remove him from the party.

“Of course, it is designed to remove me because if you say, ‘Ace Magashule must step aside,’ do you know how many names we have collected from all the provinces and its only Ace Magashule and Bongo who must step aside? There are many comrades and who are charged, but you target Ace Magashule and Bongo. I have appealed whatever illegal processes,” he has said in a SABC News interview.

Ace Magashule not worried about facing more charges from ANC:

‘Unprecedented move’

Ramaphosa has described Magashule’s move as unprecedented.

“For a Secretary-General to decide to take his organisation to court and to question the constitutionality of the very constitution that he has been implementing and adhering to, is a big surprise. So, this is unprecedented but we will go throw all of that and let it run its full course,” Ramaphosa said.

But Magashule is also pointing the finger at the governing party’s President. In his court papers, he also wants the court to affirm a suspension letter that he issued to Ramaphosa over the 2017 resolution based on allegations that he bought his way to power in the governing party.

Ace Magashule was ordered to step down by the party’s National Executive Committee at the end of March after the Integrity Commission’s recommendation in December. But he was only suspended after failing to do so within the 30-day deadline.

His court challenge will be heard in court on Thursday, June 24.

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