Durban - With suspended ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule now being given until the end of the week to apologise to President Cyril Ramaphosa, Cosatu says Magashule should play by the book and subject himself to the processes of the national executive committee.
On Tuesday, acting secretary-general Jessie Duarte said while Ramaphosa had given Magashule 48 hours to issue the apology, there was an agreement to give him a few days.
Magashule has remained mum on the matter.
Meanwhile, Cosatu national spokesperson Sizwe Pamla on Wednesday told Independent Media that Magashule should not pretend as if the step aside resolution "fell from the sky" as it is a resolution of an ANC conference.
Pamla also said that the suspended SG should also not pretend as though the National Integrity Commission was not adopted by branches.
He maintained that Magashule’s previous argument that he was elected by the branches of the ANC and could only be removed by the branches did not hold any water.
“The branches elected the NEC to run the organisation in between conferences, the same branches elected him, gave him responsibilities, and adopted the resolutions. The step aside was adopted by branches so it’s funny that he (Magashule) is excited by saying he’s elected by branches.
“He should understand that any outcome from the conference is an outcome from the branches, so he pretends as if step aside just fell from the sky, he pretends as if the Integrity Commission was not adopted by branches. Those are outcomes of the conference, none of the ANC members elected themselves,” Pamla said.
He said that Magashule had to subject himself to the dictates of the NEC because the NEC has demanded of him to comply.
“He’s no bigger than the branches he’s talking of because it is the same branches which empowered the NEC because it can’t be that he likes the position, but he has a total disregard of the NEC that was elected by the same branches,” Pamla said.
Pamla said that one of the biggest problems facing the ANC was a lack of discipline among its leaders at local, regional, provincial and national levels including government.
“This is a voluntary organisation, no one is entitled to be a member of the ANC and no one is entitled to a position in the ANC. You get elected by the structures of the ANC and your position comes with responsibilities determined by the same structures of the ANC, he said.
samkelo.mtshali@inl.co.za
Political Bureau