Magashule: Ramaphosa should respect the law & step aside over Phala Phala matter
As the African National Congress (ANC) kickstarts its 55th national conference at Nasrec on Friday, suspended secretary-general, Ace Magashule, said that President Cyril Ramaphosa should respect the rule of law and step aside after being charged by former head of state, Jacob Zuma.
FILE: Suspended ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule outside the Bloemfontein High Court on 23 September 2022.
JOHANNESBURG - As the African National Congress (ANC) kickstarts its 55th national conference at Nasrec on Friday, suspended secretary-general, Ace Magashule, said that President Cyril Ramaphosa should respect the rule of law and step aside after being charged by former head of state, Jacob Zuma.
This comes after the Jacob Zuma Foundation announced that it was pursuing private prosecution against Ramaphosa, without a certificate of non-prosecution, for being an accessory in alleged crimes committed by Billy Downer and other parties.
READ: Ramaphosa rejects Zuma's private prosecution, says he's abusing legal processes
Speaking to Eyewitness News outside the Nasrec Expo Centre, Magashule said that the Section 89 panel report, which found that Ramaphosa had a case to answer on an impeachable offence, was enough reason for him to step aside.
He said that after the president was supposedly charged through private prosecution by Zuma, he should respect the ANC electoral committee’s rule that prohibits candidates that are criminally charged from running for a top position.
"Then it means the president is above all of us, he’s above all the rules. So if the rule of law is respected, why doesn't he respect the panel. It's completely not fair, it's inconstancy. When the Phala Phala issue happened, his spokesperson said 'innocent until proven guilty'. But with me, it's guilty until proven innocent," Magashule said.