Public comments by the ANC secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, claiming his predecessor Ace Magashule 'ruined everything and the ANC in the Free State', symbolise how the party is dealing with the State Capture era -- it will blame only those who have left the party while refusing to deal with those still inside the party who have findings against them. This is yet another indication that the ANC's commitment to fixing its biggest problem is paper-thin.

On Saturday, while speaking at an ANC event in the Free State, ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula made the claim (as reported by News24) that: "There was a lot of political inference in this area, which is why we had a split in this municipality. [Ace] Magashule ruined everything. He ruined everything and the ANC in the Free State, even the ANC. He taught people that working for the ANC is working for yourself and not the people. He taught them to steal money for themselves."

Mbalula went on to claim that things have changed, so that: "If you steal, we will back you [to] step aside. Ask Magashule. We dealt with him, with [the] asbestos [scandal]."

This was a powerful comment from Mbalula and perhaps the strongest condemnation the former secretary-general has yet suffered from the party he was expelled from.

Of course, Mbalula and Magashule have a long history of not seeing eye to eye.

True, Mbalula did support then president Jacob Zuma in 2007 and the years afterwards, along with Magashule.

But, in 2017, he tweeted that he opposed Magashule being elected to the position of ANC secretary-general, saying, "Ace Magashule is a definite no no no,...