PH
A defiant Ace Magashule walked out of his bail hearing Friday vowing now only that he will never leave the African National Congress (ANC), but that he would not be removed from South Africa’s ruling party.
Magashule, the secretary-general of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) party was charged Friday with multiple counts of fraud, corruption and money laundering allegedly committed under former president, Jacob Zuma.
Prosecutors accused Magashule of stealing public money set aside to audit government houses with asbestos roofs in 2014, when he was premier of the Free State province.
The allegations revolve around the equivalent of $16.4 million (13.8 million euros) in asbestos audit contracts awarded during ex-president Jacob Zuma’s graft-tainted tenure of 2009-2018.
The hazardous roofs were never removed, leading investigators to believe that over $12 million had been pocketed.
The 61-year-old Magashule is the highest-profile politician to face graft charges linked to the previous presidency after Zuma himself.
At least one civil service organization in South Africa says Magashule’s arrest is ‘a long time coming’.
“If the reports are correct, this is an encouraging breakthrough on a matter which has been in the public domain for some time,” said a spokesperson for Corruption Watch during an interview with South African news outlet, News24. “This has been a long time coming as there have been various cases in which Ace Magashule has been implicated including the Estina Dairy Farm case as well as the asbestos case in Free State.”
Magashule was released on bail of 200,000 rand ($12,800).
Seven other suspects have been arrested and granted bail in connection to the case, which has now been adjourned to February 19.
Dozens of supporters gathered outside the Bloemfontein Magistrates Court, holding banners and waving signs with photos of Magashule.
He addressed the crowd before being granted bail, stating that the African National Congress ‘had been infiltrated’.
Magaashule is a close ally of former South Africa president, Jacob Zuma. Zuma was forced out of power by the ruling ANC over a slew of corruption scandals. Magashule is part of an internal ANC faction of Zuma backers who fervently oppose the current president, Cytil Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa has vowed to root out corruption in South Africa and recently accused the ANC of being “number one” when it comes to graft.
