Image: Daily Maverick
Faizel Patel – 07/05/2021
Political analyst Professor Steven Friedman says suspended African National Congress (ANC) secretary general Ace Magashule has no power to suspend anybody including the president of the party.
Friedman was speaking to Radio Islam on Friday about the current crisis in the ANC and the battle of the suspension letters that played out on Wednesday.
On Thursday the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) ensured for another dramatic day in the National Assembly when they tried to prevent President Cyril Ramaphosa from answering questions.
The attempt was directly linked to the power battle within the ANC, with the EFF claiming a suspended president cannot address the Assembly.
The past two days have seen high drama in the ANC as the party suspended Magashule who in turn suspended Ramaphosa which by all indications is illegal.
Friedman says Magashule’s actions is a theatrical exercise.
“There is nothing in the ANC constitution or the ANC’s rules which says a secretary general can suspend anybody without a decision by the national executive committee. Even if there was such a rule, he’s not acting as the secretary general at the moment.”
Friedman says the EFF has for a long time been allied to the faction in the ANC which Magashule is part of.
“They are engaging in the theatre, they are engaging in an attempt to deflect attention from the real issue and the real issue is that there’s been a shift in power within the ANC.”
The ANC NEC will this weekend likely endorse a list of names suggested by the national working committee (NWC) to head up its independent body overseeing appeals from the contentious step aside resolution.
Listen to the interview with Professor Steven Friedman
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