Johannesburg - Disgruntled ANC supporters in the Free State have reportedly reacted with anger at the expulsion of former ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule.
Magashule, who was last week expelled from the party for having brought the party into disrepute, has been mum on his future following this expulsion.
However, many have speculated that Magashule could become one of the latest “senior people” that EFF leader Julius Malema is courting.
This comes after Malema revealed this past week that they were in advanced negotiations to rope in the former ANC secretary-general.
If this courting exercise yields positive results for the EFF, Magashule’s move to join the red berets could become one of the biggest political moves since Malema was expelled from the ANC and went on to form the EFF in 2013.
According to sources, Magashule could be unveiled as the latest EFF member during next month’s 10-year celebrations set for FNB Stadium.
Malema indicated that his pursuit of Magashule was already at an advanced stage.
“Electoral politics are politics of numbers. It’s very important that you talk to everyone, so I am talking to the man. I am saying the EFF is at an advanced engagement.”
Malema said more details would be made public in the near future once discussions had been concluded, adding that he was also in talks with other “very senior people” whose names he would not reveal until he had concluded his discussions. “We’re likely to shock a lot of people at the FNB Stadium with the kind and calibre of people who will be in attendance at that rally of the EFF,” Malema said.
Meanwhile, while millions of South Africans spent their Youth Day commemorating the 47th anniversary of the Soweto uprisings, dissatisfied ANC supporters spent their day burning ANC T-shirts and calling ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa names.
The angry group is said to be from Magashule’s hometown, Tumahole in Parys, and is not happy with how the party has treated Magashule.
Regional ANC spokesperson in the Fezile Dabi region, Sello Pietersen, slammed the incident, adding that this was the work of non-ANC members who sought to cause confusion.
“This is reportedly in protest of the constitutional decision of the ANC to expel its former secretary-general, Mr Ace Magashule. We are fully aware of the intentions of this group, which are to create confusion among our people. We are confident that loyal and disciplined members of the ANC understand and accept the democratic and constitutional outcomes of the National Disciplinary Committee.”
He said the party would continue to call on all disciplined members to refrain from taking part in such acts, as the party’s main aim was to change the lives of the people.
“We would like to take this opportunity to remind members of the ANC of the oath that they have taken, which proclaims that they have joined the organisation voluntarily and committed to serve as loyal members, carry out tasks given to them, and defend the unity and integrity of the organisation and its principles,” Pietersen said.
Speaking to The Star, former ANC spokesperson Carl Niehaus said the incident showed that people were fed up with the ruling party.
“Evidently, people have had enough of the sellout ANC. In the 2024 elections, we will finally bury the rotten, stinking corpse that is the ANC,” he said.
ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri added that the party noted the “isolated” incident in Parys where ANC-branded T-shirts were burnt by a small group of people. “The ANC provincial and regional leaders are looking into any potential acts of ill-discipline involving any of our members as dictated by the ANC Constitution. The ANC remains confident of our strong mass base in the Fezile Dabi region and the Free State province,” she said.
The Star