ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule must step aside with immediate effect, the party’s integrity commission (IC) has recommended. The commission, chaired by George Mashamba, has recommended to the ANC that the resolutions of its conference must be applied “without fear or favour”.

In a report dated December 14, seen by TimesLIVE, Mashamba said the commission believes Magashule should step aside until his corruption case has been finalised. He said Magashule had indicated during their meeting that he would not resist any sanctions. “In his interaction with the IC, the secretary-general indicated he will never resist the decision of the NEC, even if he might not agree with it,” Mashamba wrote. “However, in the unlikely event of resistance to this, the NEC should consider suspension pending the finalisation of the criminal case against him in terms of rule 25.70 of the ANC constitution”.

The commission’s recommendations come just days after meeting with Magashule in what has been described as an “open” engagement.

Magashule is out on a R200,000 in his criminal case in which he faces 21 counts of corruption.