ANC member Carl Niehaus has described the party’s suspended secretary-general Ace Magashule as a compassionate leader after he vowed to assist a struggling Free State resident.
Magashule visited his hometown Parys at Tumahole in the Free State on Sunday and met 15-year-old Kelebogile Costance Montle, whose life has been subjected to an oxygen machine for two years following a shooting incident at school.
In a viral video, Magashule is seen encouraging Montle and vowing to support her financially after he learnt that her family is struggling with her medical bills.
According to Niehaus, Montle’s condition has posed an immense financial strain for her family, noting that they are battling to keep up with the medical bills.
“It was a priority for SG [secretary-general] to visit Kelebogile Constance Montle, a 15-year-old young woman who, due to a shooting incident, was badly injured and now needs oxygen all the time to be able to breathe. Her family are battling with the medical bills and costly equipment,” said Niehaus.
Emphasising that it was important for Magashule to pay homage to Montle and her family, Niehaus said the rolling blackouts are also a major deficit in Montle’s life “because she needs a constant reliable power supply all the time to run the medical equipment that sustains her life”.
“For our SG it was important to meet Kelebogile to encourage her, and to see what can be done to help her. This is the compassionate people’s leader that I know. Viva comrade SG, Viva,” said Niehaus.
Meanwhile, Magashule’s bid to return to his duty at the ANC headquarters Luthuli House was dismissed with costs by the Constitutional Court on Thursday, August 11.
Reads the judgment: “The Constitutional Court has considered the application for condonation and the application for leave to appeal. It has concluded that, although there are no reasonable prospects of success on the merits of the application for leave to appeal, the delay in bringing the application for leave to appeal is minimal.”
Magashule had approached the court after his application for leave to appeal his suspension was dismissed by the Supreme Court of Appeal in January.
He was suspended from the ANC in May 2021 because of the party’s step-aside rule that stipulates that members facing criminal charges should step aside while their court cases are unfolding.
Magashule faces charges of corruption, theft, and money-laundering in relation to a multimillion-rand contract that the Free State department of human settlement awarded to Blackhead Consulting for the auditing and removal of asbestos from homes in the province in 2014.
Magashule was premier of the Free State at the time.
Also read: Magashule, co-accused fail to have asbestos charges dropped
Magashule’s conduct infuriates ANC in Free State
Magashule on the backfoot in Free State
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