Magashule pre-trial postponed to June

EDITORIAL NOTE:  An earlier version of this story said the pre-trial hearing of suspended African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General Ace Magashule has been postponed to 10 July 2022. This has since been corrected to 10 June.
The pre-trial of suspended African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General Ace Magashule has been postponed to 10 June 2022. Earlier, Magashule arrived at the Bloemfontein High Court for his corruption pre-trial.
Magashule says he believes his trial is not an ordinary trial but political and a complete waste of time.
Magashule says the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) continues to mislead the country in saying they have witnesses lined up for the trial.
He is facing multi-million rands worth of corruption and money laundering charges for a failed Asbestos project during his tenure as premier of the Free State.
“They have no other thing to do but waste our time because we told you, this is a political trial. It’s deliberate, but we will fight it and I think the truth will come out. They have lied to South Africa saying they have witnesses. Let them come, let the case continue – we are not wasting any time – we have been demanding information,” says Magashule.
Suspended ANC Secretary-General, Ace Magashule, accused of delaying tactics in asbestos case 

Meanwhile, Olly Mlamleli, former mayor of Mangaung Metro Municipality in the Free State has reiterated that she has never stolen any public money ever since she’s been in office.
She says this pre-trial involving Magashule seeks to purge them for no apparent reason.
Mlamleli is claiming that the step-aside resolution of the ANC is selective. However, she’s also not a stranger to the courts, as she is also facing charges of fraud and corruption related to the Asbestos project.
She was ousted as a Mayor in August 2020 during a vote of no confidence wherein members of the ANC in the council voted with the Democratic Alliance (DA), Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the Freedom Front Plus to remove her via a secret ballot.
“I’m still the chairperson of the ANC Women’s League, elected uncontested. This one, as I’m saying, this step aside, let me tell you – here in this province, we don’t even have an integrity committee here. We didn’t steal anybody’s money,” says Mlamleli.
Ace Magashule appears in court