By: Bright Ntuli
African Congress for Transformation (ACT) leader Ace Magashule has sharply criticised the African National Congress (ANC)’s controversial step-aside rule, calling its application “selective and politically motivated.”
Magashule argued that Police Minister Senzo Mchunu should have been asked to step aside from both his ministerial role and his position within the ANC, following serious allegations of misconduct.
Mchunu was recently placed on special leave after KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi accused him of having links to criminal gangs and interfering in high-profile police investigations. The allegations have sparked a political storm, with growing calls for transparency and accountability within the ANC leadership.
Magashule’s remarks come as part of his broader criticism of how the ANC enforces its internal disciplinary processes. “There is a clear double standard. The rule is being applied based on factional interests,” he said during a press briefing on Sunday.
Ace Magashule himself was expelled from the ANC in June 2023 after the party’s National Disciplinary Committee found that he had brought the organisation into disrepute. His expulsion followed allegations related to a multi-million rand asbestos tender scandal during his tenure as Free State Premier, which he has consistently denied.
Now leading the ACT, a political party formed after his expulsion, Magashule continues to position himself as a critic of the ANC’s internal governance and a voice for what he calls genuine transformation.
The ANC’s step-aside rule, introduced in 2021, requires members facing criminal charges to voluntarily step down from their positions until their legal matters are resolved. While the rule was designed to protect the party’s integrity, critics argue that its implementation has deepened internal divisions and has been used to sideline political rivals.
