‘Rejoice’ as opposition parties react to Magashule’s arrest warrant

While the ANC gave little away after hearing the Hawks had secured a warrant of arrest against its secretary-general Ace Magashule, the same could not be said for opposition parties who appeared to rejoice in the news.

Meanwhile, the uMkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) was “dismayed and angered”.

News24 reported the National Prosecuting Authority in the Free State was expecting Magashule to hand himself over to authorities on Friday when he would make his first appearance in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court.

The ANC’s top six met on Tuesday night, hours after the Hawks had secured the arrest warrant.

Magashule, who has been implicated in the R255 million asbestos project, has maintained his innocence.

The ANC said he had advised he would be consulting with his legal team.

“The secretary-general previously spoke about his imminent arrest and had requested his legal team to establish the validity of such an arrest with the relevant authorities.

“The secretary-general stated on more than one occasion, including through his legal team, that he would co-operate with any process undertaken by law enforcement agencies.”

The party added it would be monitoring these developments closely and would communicate on any update should the need arise.

DA leader John Steenhuisen said they were “delighted” by the news, as it had been their Free State MPL Leona Kleynhans who pursued the case relentlessly since 2015, which eventually culminated in charges being laid.

“This is a win for the DA, but more importantly, this is a win for South Africa,” he added. “It is indeed very telling that the first high-profile ANC arrest has been made because of the actions of the DA. With the facts staring him directly in the face, [Cyril] Ramaphosa still remained silent, sat on his hands, and did nothing.”

The FF Plus said the development was “good news for South Africa”.

“This shows that the wheels of justice are indeed turning, albeit very slowly. Experience has taught that once the first domino in a row falls, the rest will soon follow,” it added in a statement.

“The FF Plus wants to see that the investigation was conducted thoroughly and that Magashule is duly and successfully prosecuted so that if he is found guilty, he will be given the heaviest penalty, even imprisonment if appropriate.”

It said it hoped all those involved in looting taxpayers’ money would be arrested, regardless of their position or political connections; that they appeared before court; and that investigations were conducted properly so the proper punishment was meted out.

The MKMVA issued a short statement saying it was “angered and dismayed”.

“This is an extremely serious development for both the ANC, and our whole South African community. MKMVA will in due course respond with a comprehensive statement,” said its spokesperson, Carl Niehaus.

“As MKMVA we warned many times against the selective use of corruption charges and the law enforcement agencies as tools for factional targeting and political infighting causes disunity in the ANC and overall in our country. It is also fundamentally disrespectful of our Constution [sic] and the rule of law in general.”

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