At a meeting of the party’s national executive committee at the end of last month, Magashule was, as a concession, given a 30-day grace period to ‘consult’ with former ANC leaders.
So far, he has used this time to campaign publicly and meet with supporters. He also told a meeting of the party’s provincial secretaries that he would not be suspended or disciplined.
Some supporters also threatened to stage a ‘national shutdown’ on Tuesday 6 April 2021, but this did not materialise.
Choosing sides
The party’s order to Magashule to step aside has been hailed as a victory for President Ramaphosa, as he has promised to rid the party of corruption and weaken power bases in the ANC that he sees as a threat.
There are doubts over whether Magashule will comply. “It will be highly unlikely for Magashule to step down,” political analyst Sethulego Matebesi from the University of the Free State told
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