POLITICAL HOPEFUL
Ace Magashule launches African Congress for Transformation — a party for the ‘politically abused’
Ousted ANC secretary general Ace Magashule has announced the launch of his new political party, marking his return to politics ahead of the 2024 general elections.
Three months after he was expelled from the ANC, the party’s former secretary general Ace Magashule announced the formation of his new political organisation, the African Congress for Transformation (ACT), on Wednesday.
Magashule announced the launch of the ACT at a press conference in the famed Vilakazi Street — formerly home to both Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela — in Soweto.
“We are a new political party, and we call ourselves ‘a people’s party’ because we are about people and we will rise and fall on behalf of the people,” Magashule said.
“Our political party will exist as a custodian of the aspirations of its people and generations to come. A political party exists — and this political party shall exist — to challenge all forms of oppression, discrimination and injustice. We wish to exist to join our people and partner with them — that’s why we are ‘the people’s party,’” he continued.
Ace Magashule is welcomed by cultural dancers before unveiling his new political party African Congress for Transformation on Vilakazi Street in Soweto on 30 August, 2023. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)
The new party includes several former members of the ANC. Among those present at the ACT launch on Wednesday, was former controversial Hawks boss Berning Ntlemeza who is one of the new party’s members.
Read more in Daily Maverick: Johan Booysen confirms the nightmare reign of Berning Ntlemeza
Magashule said the party wants to act against crime, unemployment, poverty, retrenchments, privatisation, water shedding, load shedding, hunger, famine, femicide, abuse against women, and discrimination.
The ANC’s National Disciplinary Committee (NDC) in May this year, found Magashule guilty of misconduct for contravening ANC rules and its constitution. This related to his unilateral decision back in 2021, to write a letter attempting to suspend Cyril Ramaphosa as party leader, without having the authority to do so.
After Magashule missed the deadline to oppose the party’s NDC findings against him, he got the boot.
The ANC slapped Magashule with permanent expulsion in June.
Read in Daily Maverick: A whimper that shook nothing and no one — Ace Magashule’s ANC expulsion a non-event
His expulsion came amid rumours that he was preparing to start his own political party ahead of the 2024 national elections.
It is unclear if Magashule’s new party has been registered with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC)
Ace Magashule and former Hawks boss Berning Ntlemeza unveiling their new political party African Congress for Transformation on Vilakazi Street in Soweto on 30 August, 2023. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)
‘Bitter struggle’ within the ANC
On Wednesday, Magashule said there has been a “bitter struggle” inside the ANC, “for its soul”.
“There have been contradictions over the years for the hegemony of progressive ideas within the ANC. Certainly, we have seen the oldest organisation moving fast towards the right, and abandoning its centre-left position. The struggle for the soul of the ANC has witnessed the systematic marginalisation of forces to the left,” he said.
Magashule said EFF leader and former president of the ANC Youth League Julius Malema “was expelled for demanding the return of the land” and former president Jacob Zuma was “hunted down like a dog for fighting white monopoly capital”.
“A new ANC cadre that is endorsed by the DA and neo-liberal handlers has emerged. The sacrifices of our people who went into exile and those who died in the apartheid gallows must never be in vain.
“I’m disgruntled because the ANC of Oliver Tambo, the ANC I joined for more than 43 years, is not the ANC we know today,” he said. However, Magashule said there are still many good leaders of the ANC, with whom the new ACT leaders are engaging.
Magashule said he had engaged with former presidents including Thabo Mbeki, Jacob Zuma and Kgalema Motlanthe, along with other provincial leaders of the ANC, and other political leaders and freedom fighters in the past six months.
Ace Magashule in a room packed with members of the media on Vilakazi Street in Soweto on 30 August, 2023.(Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)
The African Congress for Transformation
He said the ACT would be a home for “the weary and politically abused,” and called on the “homeless, the betrayed [and] the fatigued” to find a new political party.
“We are here because we have suffered collective betrayal as a people and a nation at the hands of the people who claim to be our leaders. We have been sold out with a few pieces of silver”, said Magashule.
“I want to say to all South Africans here is a ship of freedom — come along and join us, and all those who are weary and politically abused.”
He said that the leaders of the party come from different political parties and communities, and not just the ANC.
“We are not going to be a party of leaders — we are community leaders, we are activists, and that’s why… when we unveil our leadership, you are going to see people across different people; [people with] disabilities, people with albinism — all people, and all South Africans,” he said.
Magashule is currently facing criminal charges relating to a R255-million Free State asbestos tender, one of the many questionable deals that happened under his premiership in the province. Magashule’s graft trial has been postponed to 2024.
His arrest in connection with the multimillion-rand asbestos matter saw him suspended by the ANC in May 2021, after he refused to step aside voluntarily. DM
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Joke and criminal of the decade
Such unhappy faces.
I love it. The more fool parties the better.
Ace bounces back! No crystal ball needed to predict it will be a dead cat bounce.
No, really? I nearly bust a gut laughing at the sheer delusion under which this party reject seems to labour. Surely the existing ANC caters adequately for all the crooks, corrupt and lying thieves without starting a new criminals inc? It’s a circus for the crazies, with competition to see who can boast the most dishonest, inept, and incompetent. So sad, that a party that carried so much hope for a better South Africa is now as it is. Useless, uncaring about “our people” and generally a disaster area.
It seems the zeitgeist of the global network runs along parallel lines. Ex presidents, prime ministers get indicted, wrist slapped even jail time. But not only does their ‘get out of jail free card’ have no expiry date, it appears to partner as a golden ticket for running for office.
Ace and Bernie: what happens when failed politicians sideline into ACT-ing 😀
Don’t try this at home.
How is this thief not in jail?
His manifesto says nothing about the many millions that disappeared from Free State coffers under his watch. Nor students financed with stolen money, sent overseas and then dumped there when the cash ran out. And the poor, the unemployed, and the ‘white capitalists’ capable of running business that employ people, must put their trust in this charlatan?
That’s another weakness by the former ANCs, once they fail to reach their goals within the ANC they form their Political Parties. This automatically declares their Political Parties as failures before they can even attempt to establish their mission. Ngwana noga o tswalwa le bohloko, ke segagešu seo. Believe me, African Congress for Transformation will spend most of its time trying to blackmail ANC and to rectify the mistakes within ANC rather than concentrating on their goals.
Sounds about right 🤷♀️.
I’d like to know just what ex-Presidents Kgalema Motlanthe and Thabo Mbeki had to say during their ‘engagements’ with this charlatan. I can’t imagine either of them would offer a shining endorsement.
“We have been sold out with a few pieces of silver” and that from a liar, thieve and cheat.
A scoundrel
Keeping Zapiro out of work with Ace’s High.
Magashule and Ntlemeza of all people leading a party running on an anti-corruption ticket is hilarious and so so so South African 🤣
Trump America doing it.
Obviously has nothing to do with an actual useful party, and everything to do with the fact that without access to tenders and bribes, these skid-marks are basically unemployable. Their ONLY bet is to con around 80,000 to vote for them so that they can sleep in parliament and earn R2m per year (plus perks!) at taxpayer’s expense. This also highlights the deep flaw in our Constitution that permits the least useful members of society to be elected officials that decide on our laws and have access to taxpayer-funded budgets.
My thoughts exactly. This is all about the belly.
Waiting for Comrade Charl to join
Hahahaaha – true dat!
With all the promises he made to rectify the evils of all other parties he was cautious enough not to mention corruption and tenders.
He’s just following the political trend of “ Lie and Deny” – a trend set by the Putins and Trumps of this world…if the ex president of the most powerful country on earth can do it then so can an ambitious con from a tinpot sh**hole African country! (that’s what we’ve become after such a promising start 30years ago)
Need to add Bush, Obama and the current Biden on that list.
Denialism was the hallmark and cornerstone of Mbeki’s useless, murderous regime – denied a crisis in Zimbabwe, despite millions of Zimbabweans fleeing the political and economic persecution in the that country to eke out a living here; denied HIV and AIDS, despite the overwhelming scientific evidence to the contrary and the morgues full of bodies – Mbeki’s stance is thought to have cost a million lives at least and ripped the fabric out of an already damaged rural society; denied corruption in the Arms Deal, allowing for the taps to open on unfettered corruption; denied he was capable of appointing anyone rotten into government, giving cover to dozens of useless, corrupt ministers, deputies, MPs and bureaucrats: you can go on and on. Mbeki’s denialism gave rise to the evil of the Zuma era and Mbeki is thus partly responsible for everything that followed. Something he’ll doubtless deny.
Spot on! Lest we forget! Mbeki was no saint!
“Magashule said the party wants to act against crime, unemployment, poverty, retrenchments, privatisation, water shedding, load shedding, hunger, famine, femicide, abuse against women, and discrimination.”
You had the opportunity to do this for 20 years as Free State Premier and SG of the ANC, but all you did was feed the your family and the Guptas, so please stop lying to us.
Well, if it splits the ANC vote, what’s not to like?
Fascinating that … Magashule said the party wants to act against crime, unemployment, poverty, retrenchments, privatisation, water shedding, load shedding, hunger, famine, femicide, abuse against women, and discrimination.
What about corruption? Obviously that is still allowed?
Anything to take the votes away from his former thugs-in-arms. Viva Ace!
Sorry but I dont believe a single word you say. But, I will not declare you guilty till the case is through the courts. So, till then I dont trust you, Magashule. That Asbestos dark cloud needs to clear first. But then…I still not vote for you. Never will I trust anyone that has supported the ANC in the last 20 years. Its been clear from the early 2000s that the ANC is failing the country and Corruption has become synonymous with them so if one has been supporting then since then your judgement and values are highly questionable in my eyes and you cannot be trusted.
Well it’s going to be a hell of a party membership since millions of us have been ” Politically abused “
Nothing but a cabal of scumbags, thieves, predators and parasites. Along with the EFF, REThieves with Zuma as the thief-in-chief and the modern day putrid ANC, all this group wants is to access to taxpayers money and steal this country blind as per the evil Putin model. How any right- thinking South African could even contemplate voting for these rapacious hyenas, who have yet to face any form of justice for their corruption and gross theft, is astounding. They leave a wasteland and bankruptcy behind. One dearly hopes that the masses have had enough of the misery and poverty foisted upon them by these false “prophets” and consign them to the sewer where they belong.
And dressed in snowy angel white clothing. How ironic. Denise Smit
I’m a little surprised that Magashule didn’t name his ship of villainy “African Congress for Embezzlement,” the acronym for which would spell “ACE.” His conceit is certainly more than ample for that sort of vanity.
That was quick LoL
I watched the press briefing on TV and almost wet my pants. To see so many people sharing only one brain cell was hilarious. Especially Berning – he couldn’t even put one coherent sentence together. The really sad thing is that they probably will get enough stupid and desperate people to vote for them, to get a seat or two in Parliament at taxpayers expense.
When can we expect Carl Niehaus, Hlaudi Motsoneng (remember him?) Malusi Gigupta and Brian Molefe to also join this circus?
This man should be in jail. Then all of us voters will be united in the same party – the “We’re partying because criminals are behind bars” party. Entrance is free and fair.
Another thief at the helm of a politcal party in South Africa. Hopefully they’ll steal some votes from that other group of incompetents (the ANC, just in case it’s not clear :-)) Love it!
Strange they are all wearing white when they should be wearing orange!
Stop this reporting on a totally discredited, criminal non-entity.
For good sake DM!
You have way too many two-penny opinions on this rubbish!
We other issues to be informed about!
More promises by failed leaders who did nothing but pillage whilst leaders. Go figure. Plenty of gullibles will join his circus no doubt.
I couldn’t stop laughing… ‘a party for the politically abused’. Shame, didums poor old Ace.
I suppose that as an acronym, ACT is less overtly mercenary and more subliminally honest than ATM?
What a nerve! Shamelessness! Character flaw!
He and his worthy comrades would be hiding in a dark hole, if they had an ounce of moral fibre. If justice worked faster this would not happen, all of them would by now be facing a court and having taken measures for a nice orange overall.
I would gladly appreciate it if the Mission statement of the ACT is