Ace Magashule, Secretary General of the ANC, will start his day in court today, Friday, November 13.
He faces multiple counts of alleged contraventions of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act (Precca) and other corruption-related legislation.
Magashule is expected to appear in the Bloemfontein magistrate’s court today for his alleged role in the Free State asbestos audit case. This involved a joint venture between businessman Edwin Sodi’s Blackhead Consulting and the late Igo Mpambani’s Diamond Hill Trading 74, which clinched the lucrative contract with the Free State’s Department of Human Settlements in 2014.
Sodi and other businesspeople linked to the deal have already been arrested and charged, along with several former government officials. Magashule is one of the top six leaders in the ANC and is the most senior party official to risk prosecution since President Cyril Ramaphosa took office in 2018.
The issuing of an arrest warrant appeared to signal a new will by government to move against alleged corruption. It has, however, been pointed out by some that the warrant of arrest could exacerbate the already deep-seated factionalism within the ANC, which would put the party and the president under further pressure.
The ANC recently vowed, in line with a resolution taken at its 2017 National Conference, that all office bearers implicated in corruption or other criminal activities would have to step down from their positions and should be excluded from political activity.
The party has, however, said that for now, Magashule would retain his position. Magashule’s deputy, Jessie Duarte, and ANC Treasurer-General Paul Mashatile made this announcement following a meeting with Magashule and the party’s ‘top six’ which includes President Cyril Ramaphosa and Deputy President David Mabuza.
Mashatile said Magashule would not be stepping aside yet as the ANC National Executive Committee was finalising its framework on dealing with members facing allegations of wrongdoing. Izak du Plessis asked Solly Moeng of Don Valley Reputation Managers in a video interview what he thinks of the warrant of arrest and how it will affect the ANC.
