[imaesource: Twitter / @tshidi_lee]

This would all be so much more amusing if it didn’t have real-world consequences for everyday South Africans.

Whilst the people of the Free State have already been well and truly screwed over by former premier Ace Magashule, the continuing internal power struggle over at the ANC means less time for actual governance.

Trivial matters like students quite literally starving whilst waiting for the government’s R290 a month National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), and a COVID-19 third wave en route because of a painfully slow vaccine rollout, must be put on the backburner.

Instead, Magashule versus Ramaphosa is front and centre, with the latest shenanigans playing out in the South Gauteng High Court.

The suspended secretary-general has approached the court on an urgent basis, “arguing that his suspension, effected by the ANC last week, was unlawful, unconstitutional and invalid”, reports TimesLIVE:

Magashule argues in the court papers that rule 27.5 of the ANC’s constitution, which says those charged with corruption or criminal charges must step aside from their positions, failing which they be suspended, undermines the principle of innocent until proven guilty.

He wants the rule in the ANC’s constitution to also be declared unlawful, unconstitutional, invalid and null and void.

In addition, Magashule has asked the court to uphold the retaliatory and unilateral suspension he effected on ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa.

Yup, he says it is in fact Ramaphosa who should be suspended.

The sort of bickering that belongs in a sandpit at the local playground, but then again, when this was posted yesterday, what else should we expect?

Having been given 48 hours by the ANC NEC to issue a public apology, we got this:

Le re apology? pic.twitter.com/pN1q0uj2s6

— Matshidiso Madia (@tshidi_lee) May 13, 2021

He’s as useless a boxer as he is a chess player, it appears.

More on Ace’s attempts to suspend Ramaphosa via News24:

Magashule says he wrote the letter of suspension to Ramaphosa on the grounds that the ANC president had used money to influence a party conference outcome.

Magashule also claims to have written it before Ramaphosa wrote a letter suspending him because of corruption charges.

He said he had wanted to deliver Ramaphosa’s letter physically, “out of respect for the office he holds”, and that this was the reason for the delay.

In the 128-page application, Magashule repeats the allegations he has made about his suspension in more detail, painting himself as a victim of Ramaphosa’s CR17 faction in the party.

Sigh.

Imagine having just one actual, decent, progressive opposition party that was able to capitalise on the farce that is the ANC?

[sources:timeslive&news24]