Ex-ANC Secretary General Ace Magashule fired

South Africa’s governing African National Congress (ANC) has expelled its former Secretary General Ace Magashule a week after a party disciplinary committee found him guilty of misconduct.

He was accused of having tried to suspend President Cyril Ramaphosa as party leader.

Mr Magashule was given seven days to respond but in a statement the ANC said he did not send any “representations to that effect”.

At one point, Mr Magushule was widely seen as a political kingmaker in the ANC and was a staunch ally of former President Jacob Zuma, who Mr Ramaphosa replaced in 2018 following numerous corruption allegations – all of which Mr Zuma denies.

Two years ago, Mr Magashule was suspended by the party after he had been charged with corruption – charges that he denies. But Mr Magashule said that move was against the ANC’s constitution and then said that President Ramaphosa was suspended – this is what led to the misconduct charge.

Mr Magashule has hinted that he may start his own political party.