The African National Congress (ANC) will be monitoring the legal proceedings against Secretary-General Ace Magashule to ensure he receives a fair process, free from prejudice and bias.
Magashule is expected to hand himself over to the Hawks on Friday and will thereafter appear in court on charges relating to alleged corruption.
The matter relates to his alleged involvement in the irregular awarding of the R255 million asbestos contract while he was the Premier in the Free State.
On Tuesday, Magashule met with the ANC top six officials including President Cyril Ramaphosa.
ANC Deputy Secretary-General Jessie Duarte maintains that the party remains resolute in its fight against corruption.
Duarte says, “The ANC officials in the spirit of the 54th conference resolutions continue to condemn all acts of corruption and malfeasance. The officials will remain seized with the matter to ensure that the SG goes through the legal processes and that the process is fair and without prejudice…”
“The judiciary is independent in accordance with our Constitution and we respect this. We, therefore, call on all sectors of society to allow the law to take its course,” added Duarte.
Unpacking the Free State Asbestos saga
High profile arrests
Seven people and five companies face more than 60 charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering in relation to the Free State asbestos project that dates back to 2014.
Among the accused are other high-ranking ANC officials, including ousted Mangaung executive mayor Olly Mlamleli, Free State Human Settlements head Nthimotse Mokhesi; and businessman Edwin Sodi, who is Consulting Director at Blackbeard.
Their case has been postponed to February 2021.
Both the Auditor-General and the Public Protector declared as irregular the procurement of the 2014 contract to assess and eradicate asbestos roofs in the province.
Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane found that only R21 million was spent on the actual audit of asbestos roofs in the province.
In the video below, SABC News Reporter Palesa Moeti outlines details of the case as the seven accused appeared in court earlier:
The statement below outlines the ANC’s sentiments with regards to Magashule:
