Ace berates Regime Change

The provincial ANC chairperson is fed up with anarchy and ill-discipline and has promised to leave no stone unturned in reigning in rogue elements within the ruling party in the province.

Free State ANC provincial chairperson premier Ace Magashule has thrown down the gauntlet before his political nemesis and promised to take tough action against rogue elements within the ruling party in the province.
Addressing newly-elected regional executive committee (REC) members in Fezile Dabi in Parys on Sunday, he said it is about time that the ANC in the province dealt with people “once and for all” who thought of themselves as “abosomandla (bullies)”.

“We must have strong disciplinary committees to effectively deal with members who think they are abosomandla in the ANC,” Magashule added to wild cheers from the delegates.

He came out guns blazing and hauled over the coals Regime Change members who disrupt legitimate ANC meetings.

“You must be decisive in terms of dealing with anarchists. You must politically alienate them. You must not engage with such people but discipline them. You discipline, then judge,” he added.

In a veiled reference to expelled ANC Youth League president Julius Malema and the suspended members of his executive, Magashule said: “These comrades wanted to abuse power. Look where they are today. They are gone. Do not abuse your power. Do not go as REC members to force mayors to give you tenders”.

According to Magashule, the province’s remaining three regional conferences will go ahead peacefully and no one will be allowed to disrupt them.

Magashule’s comments came against the backdrop of a damning ANC Fezile Dabi regional report that has implicated well-known senior Regime Change leaders and sympathisers in acts of ill-fated disruption of annual general meetings, violence, and the formation of so-called parallel structures in the province ahead of regional elective conferences.

The provincial chairperson expressed his confidence in the new REC under the leadership of Sizwe Mbalo.

“The ANC in Fezile Dabi is in good hands with this leadership.”
Magashule singled out departing Fezile Dabi REC deputy chairperson Max Moshodi and deputy secretary Sipho Mthakati for their sterling work in preparation of the conference.

“We must thank them. Even though they were not nominated for any position, they remained resolutely committed to the cause. When the former regional chairperson [Steve Tshabalala] and Secretary [Victor Radebe] said, surprisingly, that the region was not ready to host the conference, they [Moshodi and Mthakati] firmly said we are ready. We must learn one lesson from them and that is humility.”

Magashule also said it would be “a pleasure” to elevate the two to the provincial executive committee as “they have proven their mantle by ensuring that the ANC Fezile Dabi region was the first to host an incident-free conference in the province”.

Regarding the police officers in Oranjeville and Edenville who allegedly took sides in political brawls, Magashule issued a stern warning: “We are aware that people have been using police to attain their self-serving political interests. Perhaps it is about time we are serious about rooting out corruption in the police. We cannot allow a situation where police officers get entangled in factions within the ANC”.