ANC - The African Mirror

Mar

2024

By OLIVIA KUMWENDA-MTAMBO and NELLIE PEYTON

South Africa’s ANC wary of post-election coalition, says it ‘won’t work’

SOUTH Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) party is betting on retaining its parliamentary majority in a May election and is not in talks with other parties on a possible coalition government, the party's deputy secretary general said. South Africans will go to polls on May 29 to elect a new National Assembly, which will then choose the next president. "We will not go to war having accepted defeat. We are going to war to win," ANC veteran Nomvula Mokonyane told Reuters in an interview, adding that the party was aware that "stakes are high because not everybody is comfortable…

Nov

2023

By The African Mirror

South Africa’s ANC backs motion to close Israeli embassy

NEWS

SOUTH Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) party said that it would support a parliamentary motion calling for the Israeli embassy in South Africa to be closed. The opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) will propose the motion later on Thursday, also calling for the suspension of all diplomatic relations with Israel in solidarity with the Palestinian people amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. South Africa's strong support for Palestinians dates back to former President Nelson Mandela's days, with the country likening their plight to its own before the end of apartheid in 1994. Israel rejects the comparison. "The African National…

Sep

2023

By The African Mirror

“Let us honour Aziz Pahad by continuing with struggle for justice, equality”

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THABO MBEKI AZIZ Pahad was a profoundly humane human being, with a sunny, compassionate, and humorous character. He was born in 1940, in Schweizer-Reneke in the North-West Province, to a family of political activists. His upbringing was profoundly shaped by the indomitable spirit of his family, particularly his mother, herself a stalwart in the fight against Apartheid. In the book, “uMama: Reflections of South African Mothers and Grandmothers”, compiled and edited by Marion Keim, Aziz remarks about his mother, “she taught me that we were all part of one big family simply by virtue of being human and by virtue…

Dec

2020

By The African Mirror

South African anti-graft watchdog accuses ANC leader of improper conduct

NEWS

EMMA RUMNEY A top official in South Africa's ruling party, Ace Magashule, did not properly oversee a public-private dairy farm project and his actions amounted to maladministration and improper conduct, the country's anti-corruption watchdog, the Public Protector, has found. Prosecutors say that R220-million ($14.81 million) of public money invested in the project to support poor farmers in the central province of Free State was siphoned off, including to accounts linked to the influential Gupta family, which had close links with politicians under former South Africa president Jacob Zuma. The Guptas have previously denied wrongdoing. Magashule, who was premier of Free…

Dec

2020

By The African Mirror

South Africa’s ANC in a political crisis

NEWS

SOUTH Africa's governing African National Congress (ANC) finds itself in a serious political crisis that threatens unity in the party led by Cyril Ramaphosa. At the heart of the crisis is the disagreement around a resolution taken at the party’s 54th conference in 2017 that individuals who face criminal charges should step down from their positions in the party and in government. Yesterday, the ANC’s national integrity committee, set up to uphold the part’s reputation by taking action against those accused of criminal activity, ruled that Ace Magashule, the party’s secretary-general, should "step aside" from his position pending the outcome…

Dec

2020

By The African Mirror

South Africa’s Magashule to give explanation to party after corruption charges

NEWS

THE secretary-general of South Africa's governing ANC will appear before a party commission on Saturday to give an explanation, after he was charged with corruption, President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced. Ace Magashule, an ally of Ramaphosa's predecessor Jacob Zuma, faces corruption allegations related to a contract to audit homes with asbestos roofs while he served as premier of the Free State province. He has denied wrongdoing and was granted bail in court last month. Ramaphosa is trying to clean up the ANC's image after a decade of scandals under Zuma. In August, the ANC's National Executive Committee (NEC) resolved that…

Nov

2020

By The African Mirror

Top South African ANC official Magashule out on R200 000 bail

NEWS

THE fourth most senior official of South Africa's governing African National Congress party has been charged with 21 counts of fraud and corruption and is out on bail of R200 000. Ace Magashule, the secretary-general of the ANC, in charge of the party's day-to-day running, appeared at a magistrate's court in Bloemfontein, a city which was besieged by thousands of his supporters, which included high ranking ANC officials. One of the ANC's "top six" most powerful officials, he faces corruption charges over allegations related to a contract to audit houses with asbestos roofs awarded while he was premier of the…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

S.Africa corruption inquiry to summon Zuma to appear next month

NEWS

ALEXANDER WINNING A South African corruption inquiry will issue a summons for former president Jacob Zuma to appear to give evidence next month, the judge chairing the proceedings had decided. Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo said Zuma would be required to appear on November 16-20, adding that this could be via videolink if appropriate arrangements were made. "The secretary of the commission is hereby authorised and directed to sign and issue a summons ... requiring Mr Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma, former president of the Republic of South Africa, to appear," Zondo said. The inquiry was set up more than two years…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

South Africa Hawks police not aware of imminent arrest of ANC’s Magashule

NEWS

SOUTH African elite police unit Hawks said it was not aware of any arrest warrant for African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General Ace Magashule, following media reports his arrest was imminent. "The Hawks would like to categorically distance itself from the IOL (media) report regarding the so-called impending arrest against Mr Ace Magashule," Hawks spokesman Hangwani Mulaudzi said in a statement on WhatsApp shortly before midnight Tuesday. The Hawks "view the report as a malicious intent to undermine the integrity of the organization". The Independent Media, citing sources, reported that Magashule will be arrested and charged over an alleged role in…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

Arrest of politician sparks “who’s next’ panic in the ANC

NEWS

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER THE arrest of a top ANC politician on allegations of fraud and corruption related to the capture of the state by corrupt elements has triggered panic with the ANC ranks. In separate operations, Vincent Smith, the former chair of Parliament’s Committee on Correctional Services and seven other people, including a businessman who gave millions to the ANC, were arrested in joint operation by the Haws and the Special Investigations Unit. A number of senior ANC politicians, including two former premiers and a sitting cabinet minister, have been named in testimonies heard by the Zondo Commission of Inquiry…