The national conference rules set out by the ANC’s electoral committee have barred suspended ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule and various other leaders who have been criminally charged from contesting in the party’s elective conference in December.
This was announced on Thursday by the ANC electoral committee chairperson Kgalema Motlanthe during a press briefing at Luthuli House where he announced the opening date for the nomination of the ANC top six and 80 members of the party’s national executive committee (NEC).
In announcing the official rules of engagement in the nomination of candidates for the ANC’s December conference, Motlanthe mentioned that those who have been temporarily suspended pending the outcome of the courts or disciplinary hearing are prohibited from participating in the contest.
Motlanthe said the ANC expected the highest ethical moral standards from NEC leaders as the party nominations are set to open.
This is a huge blow for Magashule as he was suspended from the position of ANC secretary-general in May 2021, after he was charged with corruption, fraud and money laundering for the R255 million Free State asbestos tender.
The suspension came into effect when Magashule was given 30 days to step-aside or face suspension, and he chose to defy the party and refused to step aside. The decision came after the party implemented the resolution which said that those who have been criminally charged should step aside.
The Constitutional Court last week dismissed Magashule’s leave to appeal bid to have his suspension declared unlawful and invalid.
Motlanthe said the Electoral Committee must use the rules to vet out all nominees on the shortlist who are affected by the step aside rule.
Source: Daily Maverick, IOL, image from Twitter: SABC News