Johannesburg - Suspended ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule doled out cash to a group of informal traders outside the governing party’s national conference in Nasrec, Johannesburg.
”Ace ngicel’i R50 (Ace, can I please have R50),” screamed a man clad in ANC colours as the former Free State premier was whisked away in a white double-cab bakkie after taking pictures with ANC members gathered at the Sasol garage on the corner of Nasrec and Rand Show roads.
Another ANC supporter shouted: “Hey, Comrade Ace, I love you with all my heart.”
This appears to have melted Magashule’s heart into dipping into his pockets and handing out a few R20 and R50 notes to about half a dozen people.
Magashule later joined the 61st anniversary celebrations of Umkhonto we Sizwe in an open field outside the conference venue.
Tourism Minister and ANC presidential hopeful Lindiwe Sisulu addressed the gathering of veterans of the ANC’s military wing and said she believes that Magashule’s suspension should be dealt with at the conference.
”I think that there needs to be a discussion around this,” said Sisulu.
Asked if she would join forces with other contenders for ANC president – former health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize and Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma – Sisulu said she was not opposed to the idea as she had previously been in exile in eSwatini with both of them.
”I have no problem, we’ve been friends. I respect them. We’re friends, we work together,” she explained.
Addressing members of the now disbanded Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association, Magashule decried the state of the ANC.
”iANC ithengiswa (The ANC is being sold) whilst we are watching. Iyahamba iANC sibhekile nje (It’s being sold while we watch),” he said.
Magashule also revealed that former president Jacob Zuma would be at the national conference.
”This conference is a do or die. Jacob Zuma is a delegate of a branch. He is not just going to sit there, he is going to debate because in the ANC, it’s not this thing we see today where you don’t debate,” he said.
Magashule was highly critical of ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe, who has been accused by some national executive committee (NEC) members of preventing them from addressing the Phala Phala farmgate scandal at its meeting last week.
”With the ANC of Gwede Mantashe we debate issues in one minute,” he stated.
Magashule continued: “I’m happy that yesterday (Thursday) the Free State leadership discussed with (national) officials of the ANC and they were called discuss matters of the ANC from 9 to 10.
“But the comrades said we can’t discuss for one hour and that meeting finally collapsed because the Free State leadership was saying we’re divided and we have been divided by you, national leadership.”
He said the ANC was losing municipalities and by-elections as a sign of its voters having lost confidence in the party.
”Our people have no water, food because the ANC is captured. They are privatising Eskom, SAA. They talk about corporatisation. They are in real life giving away and reversing the gains of the revolution,” Magashule said.
According to the former ANC Free State chairperson, Africans in the ANC undermined themselves by sending some of its leaders who do not campaign for the party at election time.
”We vote for the likes of (former tourism minister) Derek Hanekom and (Public Enterprises Minister) Pravin (Gordhan) to go to Parliament, but when we campaign and we want votes from South Africans you don’t see them anywhere,” Magashule added.
He said, instead, such leaders are shielded through applying double standards when threats of disciplinary action are made.
”They go to Parliament and they said they want Zuma out, but when Nkosazana, Sisulu, (Mosebenzi) Zwane, Supra (Mahumapelo), Mervyn Dirks and others say we are also voting the way you voted then they say these comrades are ill disciplined and must be expelled from the ANC,” said Magashule, referring to the ANC’s threats to discipline its MPs who voted for the adoption of the section 89 panel report on Phala Phala this week.
ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe said the matter of the disciplinary action against the MPs has been referred to the NEC that will be elected at the conference currently under way.