ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule has barely stood before a judge to acknowledge his charges and already, there is a battalion of the ruling party’s supporters ready to take up arms in defence of its former Free State leader.
ANC campaigners rally behind Ace Magashule
It’s widely known that Magashule, a former Premier of the province, enjoys a lot of celebrity in the region and the party’s ranks. Many of the ANC wards in the Free States are loyal to the controversial SG.
As a struggle hero and once the Hand to ex-SA president Jacob Zuma, Magashule’s influence in Free State politics is part of the reason why it took so long to prosecute him on his involvement in asbestos-gate.
As reported by Daily Maverick, Magashule is set to appear before the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Friday for several corruption-related charges.
Asbestos-gate finally comes to bite the SG
Confirmation of the ANC SG’s court appearance comes a day after the Hawks ruptured SA’s political arena with the announcement of an arrest warrant out on Magashule for his alleged involvement in the shoddy R255 million asbestos saga.
At the time, as Premier of the Free State, it’s believed Magashule was the alleged handler in many of the illicit movements of the state funds that were allocated for a roofing audit on township houses in the province.
In fact, Daily Maverick alleges in a report that there is evidence that shows only 3% of the budget serviced the audit project.
The rest, it’s believed, was plunged into the lavish lifestyles of the many government officials, business executives and key members of the Free State Premier’s office who had their hands in the jar.
Ace Magashule blames charges on ANC infiltrators
Magashule’s outright attack on these charges was the fuel that ignited the “hands off Magashule” hashtag that’s topped the trends list on social media.
Following the Hawks’ warrant notice, the SG held a short media briefing where he effectively downplayed the charges as a possible ruse orchestrated by ‘ANC infiltrators’.
Of course, this claim was not supported by any tangible evidence. Instead, he hinted at more being revealed: “when the time is right.”
The ANC’s Top Six has already held an emergency meeting to discuss the ramifications of such a prominent arrest.
The outcome of this meeting is expected to be detailed in a press briefing we believe will take place on Wednesday.
This is a developing story.
