10 May 2021
Political & Trend Analyst
In the corruption update in August last year, I wrote: ‘One must distinguish between what the state is doing and what the ANC is doing or not doing. President Ramaphosa has clearly put the state on a new trajectory. It is important that the ANC now follows suit.’ Nine months later, in the past week, this is exactly what happened.
Ace Magashule was suspended pending the outcome of his corruption court case in the Free State and removed from a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting. Former minister Bongani Bongo was also expelled from the NEC due to his corruption charges. Magashule dominated the news. He may not have been the most corrupt person around, but he is the highest-ranking ANC official to be charged so far and, sadly for him, he has become the symbol of corruption in the ANC, together with Jacob Zuma.