The African National Congress (ANC), which is in power in South Africa, announced on Monday that Ace Magashule had been expelled after being found guilty of violating the party’s charter.
In May 2021, Magashule was placed on administrative leave from the ANC as part of stricter guidelines for party members accused of corruption.
He attempted to suspend President Cyril Ramaphosa shortly after his own suspension, claiming that he had the power to do so as secretary-general, but his attempt was unsuccessful.
The ANC claimed that the top party official had broken a number of party laws, including failing to follow or refusing to abide by resolutions, rules, and policies that were explicitly specified in the party’s constitution.
The ANC said in a statement that Magashule’s removal was decided after he failed to explain why he should not be removed from the party. Magashule is affiliated with the wing of the party that is led by former leader Jacob Zuma. Magashule could not be reached right away for comment.
When Magashule was the premier of the Free State province between 2014 and 2016, he was accused of violating a contract to audit homes with asbestos roofs. Magashule was once regarded as one of Ramaphosa’s top political rivals. He claims he did nothing wrong.
