The African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general, Ace Magashule, says he believes he’s making the right decision by appearing before the party’s Integrity Commission on Saturday. However, he remains adamant that he will not step aside.
Magashule is currently facing 21 charges of corruption, fraud and money laundering linked to his time serving as Free State premier.
The Integrity Commission says those facing corruption should step aside, but according to Magashule legal minds are still thrashing out regulations around the issue.
The Integrity Commission has limited powers and can only make recommendations to the National Executive Committee.
Some political analysts say this is problematic.
‘Nothing tangible’
Political analyst Mcebisi Ndletyana says nothing tangible is expected to come out of the Commission. Ndletyana says ANC members who are supposed to deal with corruption are themselves implicated in it.
“Corruption in the ANC has been institutionalised and a lot of people are implicated. It has been going on for a while. So, even though they might talk of corruption, people are reluctant to act against it because if they do, they’ll also be punished. That’s what you have. Corruption is pretty much paralysing the organisation. I don’t know what the Commission will come up with and in fact, the NEC might not act.”
Magashule this week said the National Executive Committee had resolved to give national leadership until January next year to finalise the guidelines for members implicated in corruption to step aside.
Magashule is out on R200 000 bail for criminal charges relating to the multi-million rand asbestos project while he was premier in the Free State. He will be back in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court in February next year.
