Johannesburg - President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office says it will not entertain expelled former ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule’s wild allegations against Ramaphosa.
On Monday and during an interview on Newzroom Afrika, Magashule said his expulsion from the party was ordered by Johann Rupert to Ramaphosa in 2021.
In May 2021, Magashule was suspended by the party following reports that he had contravened the party’s constitution when he attempted to suspend Ramaphosa.
Last week, following his long suspension amid the step-aside rule, Magashule was expelled from the party’s national disciplinary committee’s (NDC) following a recommendation that he be expelled from the party for his behaviour.
“Remember there was an article, and a certain Mr Rupert said this man this weekend must go. That weekend on Zoom, it happened: Magashule was expelled. I was expelled long ago. I will bring those articles for the public to remember that I was expelled a long time ago. He said, ‘If you don’t expel this man, I am not going to support you, Mr President’,” he told Thabo Mdluli.
Magashule said the decision to expel him was not taken by the ANC, but by Ramaphosa at the time.
Magashule’s expulsion from the ruling party was announced on June 12 by the party’s national spokesperson, Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri.
Bhengu-Motsiri said the party’s NDC made the decision because Magashule had failed to respond after he was given seven days to state why he should not be expelled.
“The NDC found Comrade Ace Magashule guilty of contravening Rules 25.17.12, 25.17.3, 12.1, and 12.2.20 of the ANC constitution.
“After a guilty verdict by the NDC, Comrade Ace Magashule was allowed to show cause why he should not be expelled from the ANC. Upon the lapse of seven days, the NDC had not received any representations to that effect,” she said.
Attempts to get the ANC to comment on Magashule’s latest revelations were unsuccessful by the time of going to print.
The former premier of Free State, who was initially placed on suspension on May 3, 2021, after he refused to abide by the party’s instructions to step aside, has not communicated his plans for the immediate future, but confirmed that he was speaking to the EFF and would be making his decision on whether to join the Red Berets in due time.
He said the decision to expel him was even discussed outside of the SA borders.
“I can tell you that the decision to expel me was taken even outside of the country because I am in touch with friends internationally who are still freedom fighters who care about our relationship and who care about the ANC,” he said.
The Star