Johannesburg – Several senior ANC leaders including those in the party’s top six are expected to face a barrage of allegations of wrongdoing and told to step aside.
Sunday World can reveal that both camps in the ANC, one supporting President Cyril Ramaphosa and another backing the party’s secretary-general, Ace Magashule, will face off over a resolution that leaders facing allegations of wrongdoing should step aside.
The ANC’s national executive committee (NEC), the highest decision-making body between conferences, is met from Monday until Tuesday in what ANC insiders are expecting to be a big showdown between the Ramaphosa and the Magashule factions.
While it is expected that Magashule will be in the firing line after he was charged with corruption, fraud and money-laundering, Ramaphosa, his deputy David Mabuza, ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe and other NEC members are expected to be tackled on allegations that have been made against them.
Ramaphosa faces allegations that he lied to parliament regarding the R500 000 his presidential campaign received from Bosasa.
Ramaphosa also faces allegations of buying votes at the party’s elective conference in 2017.
Mantashe is facing a storm over claims by former Bosasa chief operating officer Angelo Agrizzi that the controversial facilities management company installed security equipment at his homes in Cala and Elliot in the Eastern Cape, and Boksburg in Gauteng.
Former Bosasa employee, Richard le Roux, also testified before the State Capture Commission that installations were also made at properties of former water and sanitation minister Nomvula Mokonyane and former correctional services deputy minister Thabang Makwetla.
Another Ramaphosa ally, Deputy State Security Minister Zizi Kodwa is also a target following payments he received from embattled businessman Edwin Sodi and listed ICT firm EOH’s public sector head Jehan Mackay.
At the heart of the war of attrition is a 2017 Nasrec conference resolution calling leaders to step aside when involved in wrongdoing.
Sunday World can reveal that three legal opinions from two senior counsels, Tembeka Ngcukaitobi and Dali Mpofu, and the party’s former treasurer Mathews Phosa have declared that forcing people to step aside on allegations of wrongdoing was inconsistent with the country’s laws.
Ngcukaitobi said the Nasrec resolution does not oblige or instruct Magashule to step down.
“It [the resolution] requires him [Ace Magashule] to consider his position, the allegations against him, the impact of these charges, and the fact that he will be undergoing a criminal trial for a substantial period in the ANC of which he is a leader.
“He may elect to step down if he chooses. But he may not. He is under no compulsion either way,” said Ngcukaitobi.
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