The African National Congress (ANC) will investigate suspended secretary-general Ace Magashule, national executive committee (NEC) member, Tony Yengeni, and MKMVA spokesperson, Carl Niehaus, following their public utterances outside the Pietermaritzburg court last week.
Deputy secretary-general, Jessie Duarte, told journalists during a post-national working committee meeting on Tuesday that their behaviour was unbecoming, divisive and defiant, although she didn’t mention anyone by name.
The three, who were there to support former President Jacob Zuma at the start of his corruption trial, addressed his supporters where they called on the ANC’s branches to stand up and push for a special conference if Magashule was removed as secretary-general.
Niehaus tried to rally the crowd to Magashule’s side in a display that was more embarrassing than anything else.
Magashule is fighting his suspension from the ANC, which was instituted after he refused to step aside.
Duarte said “If there’s no evidence, if there’s just an accusation that says so-and-so did something wrong, and the investigation proves that nothing was wrong, there’s no charge but if there’s a damning charge in terms of all Rule 25 of our constitution, then we can confer a charge on a person.”
Duarte seems incapable of just saying what needs to be said.