By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The corruption case against the African National Congress’ (ANC) former secretary-general Ace Magashule and co-accused has been postponed to 5 May.
Magashule and his co-accused appeared in the Bloemfontein High Court on Friday, on multiple charges of fraud, corruption, and money laundering.
Alongside Magashule, the following accused are also on trial:
- Businessman Edwin Sodi,
- Free State human settlements department head Nthimotse Mokhesi,
- Businessman Sello Radebe,
- Former director-general of the national Department of Human Settlements Thabane Zulu,
- Former provincial human settlements MEC Sarah “Olly” Mlamleli,
- Free State human settlements supply chain manager director Mahlamola Matlakela,
- Businessman Abel Manyeki,
- Nozipho Belina Molikoe, chief financial officer of the provincial human settlements department in 2014,
- Thabiso Makepe, chief engineer of the department, and
- Albertus Venter, head of the legal department in the office of the Free State premier.
The postponement is to allow for the conclusion of a Supreme Court of Appeal challenge to overturn a high court ruling which dismissed a stay of prosecution application by Magashule and some of his co-accused.
Magashule and his co-accused were arrested by the Hawks over the tender to remove asbestos roofing from low-cost housing in the Free State, awarded during his tenure as premier, to Sodi’s Blackhead Consulting.
Instead of the affected houses being safely rid of asbestos at a reasonable price, the State says, Sodi and his co-accused essentially embarked on a “rent-seeking” scheme that ultimately resulted in only R21 million worth of work being done.
It is the State’s case that Magashule’s alleged take came in the form of school tuition for Gupta ally Refiloe Mokoena’s daughter, electronic tablets, and R250 000 for the travel expenses of a delegation to Cuba. Those alleged gratifications were given through payments made by murdered businessman and asbestos tender beneficiary Igo Mpambani.
Magashule insists there is no case against him – and he has unsuccessfully sought to challenge the basis for his prosecution.