Ace Magashule defends Zuma and claims there are ‘others in charge’ of the ANC

POLITICS

Magashule admitted that the ANC was so divided that it would take a long time to unite it again.

In an interview with JJ Tabane on eNCA on Monday night, the former Free State premier said the organisation will not have peace if it doesn’t resolve the issues surrounding Zuma. Asked whether Zuma deserved to go to jail for contempt of court, Magashule defended him on the arms deal corruption case.

“I don’t speak for Jacob Zuma and I am sure he can speak for himself, but I don’t believe that what he is alleged to have done is true. In 1994, Zuma and I were MECs for economic affairs in our provinces.

“He was the MEC in KwaZulu-Natal while I was the MEC in the Free State. He was not part of the national Cabinet that decided on the arms deal, so I don’t know how president Zuma came into that picture. But I am sure he had challenged both the government and the ANC on this matter,” he said.

Looting and unrest

Magashule said the angry reaction by Zuma’s supporters was expected after he was arrested.

“I’m sure people expected things to happen with his arrest. What we didn’t think of is the looting and burning part,” he said.

He insisted that nobody can be blamed for the insurrection because it happened spontaneously. He said there could be many factors that led to the rioting, and there were many theories doing the rounds.

He said there won’t be peace in this country as long as people are unemployed and jobless.

‘Selective implementation’

Magashule said the ANC must reconsider the step-aside rule for the sake of unity.

“The resolution did not only talk of those who are charged with corruption to step aside, but even those who are facing allegations against them.”

READ: Magashule and NPA fight over witness

He tried to suspend President Cyril Ramaphosa based on the fact that allegations had been made against Ramaphosa, but the national executive committee overturned his decision.

Magashule said the implementation of the step-aside rule was selective because it didn’t adhere to resolutions of fighting crime and corruption.

“There are those who are using money to ascend to power, and the resolutions gave the secretary-general powers to suspend anybody. It was in the heat of the event that I took the decision to suspend the president,” said Magashule.

Without mentioning names, he said there were people in the party who thought they had power, but they didn’t:

Taking the party to court

On his own corruption case, Magashule said he was confident that he was going to “win” because there was “no evidence against him”.

When asked whether he was ignoring the party’s decision that members should not take the ANC to court, he said: “I still hold the view that you can’t resolve political matters through the courts. Political matters must be resolved politically by the organisation.”

However, he added that this depended on how arrogant the leadership was:

“If you confront arrogant leadership, you still enjoy the rights that are enshrined in the Bill of Rights, and that’s why I went to court,” he said.

Magashule denied that he was going against what he used to preach to party members about not taking the organisation to court.

READ: Magashule and Sodi challenge admissibility of evidence against them as case is moved to October

“I never said people must not take the ANC to court, but I said they must come and we should resolve our matters internally. In South Africa, we do respect the law.”

He also claimed that the judicial system was biased, which is why he is appealing the decision made against him.

He also denied being involved in corruption in the Free State: “I was not aware that there was corruption in the asbestos project. I didn’t know if there was corruption or not.”

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