Staff Reporter
Supporters of ANC secretary general Ace Magashule who is due to appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrates Court on Friday on corruption charges say they are not ashamed of their support for him because they know the case is politically motivated and is bound to fail.
A group which calls itself Radical Economic Transformation (RET) forces says should Magashule, 61, be found guilty of failing to play his oversight role when he was the premier of the Free State, then all premiers in the country should be arrested because there is no province without a failed project.
RET convenor in the province, Malefu Mofokeng, told a mobilisation meeting held at the Naval Hill on Wednesday that they are not bothered by the charges which they claim are aimed at destroying Magashule politically.
“We want to state it clearly that we unashamedly stand behind Ace Magashule,” said Mofokeng.
“We know very well that the charges against him are politically motivated and we will stand with him.
“We know he is being targeted for his strong stance on radical economic empowerment aimed at uplifting the black majority.”
Mofokeng said the RET forces will come out in their numbers on Friday to give support to Magashule and former Mangaung executive mayor Olly Mlamleli, jointly charged with several other people in the asbestos corruption case.
Thabo Baleni who spoke on behalf of the ANC branches in the Free State said they would not just sit back while the judiciary is allegedly being captured.
“With the unfairness and this judiciary being captured by the whites, we can no longer sit back and watch our leaders face all these persecutions on their own,” he said.
“All they did was to fight for is for us the general majority blacks, and Africans in particular.
“We are unshaken as the branches and we are saying if we are to be disciplined for speaking out in support of Cde Ace Magashule, then we say we are ready and won’t stumble on anything.”
Congress of South African Students national convenor Katleho Mangwejane claimed the charges against Magashule were politically motivated.
“If you are going to charge someone with oversight, it means you are going to charge all the premiers in the country, all the MECs and all the mayors because in each and every municipality or government institution, there is a certain project that has failed or that has corruption,” said Mangwejane.
“So, we feel the charges are politically motivated and that’s why we stand to defend him.”
Magashule was released on bail of R200 000 when he made an initial court appearance in November last year.
He is facing 21 charges of corruption and fraud, alternatively theft and money laundering.
Already charged in the matter are: Johannesburg businessman and owner of Blackhead Consulting (Pty), Pheagane Edwin Sodi, 47; head of the Free State Department of Human Settlements (FSDHS), Nthimotse Mokhesi, 61; director for supply chain management at the FSDHS, Mahlomola John Matlakala, 42; Fourways businessman Sello Joseph Radebe, 56; Pretoria businessman Abel Kgotso Manyeki, 38; former director-general of the National Department of Human Settlements, Thabane Wiseman Zulu, 53; and former Free State MEC for Human Settlements and former mayor of Mangaung, Sarah Matawana Mlamleli, 63.
It is alleged that various payments were made by the Free State Department of Housing to Diamond Hill Trading 71 and Blackhead Consulting, a joint venture which the late Phikolomzi Mpambani and Sodi were the account holders.
The company was appointed by Mokhesi as a service provider on a contract of R255-million.
The joint venture was expected to assess and remove asbestos roofs and/or housing as they pose a health hazard to people but, according to the state, the work was never completed.
The state alleges that in August 2015, Magashule corruptly accepted gratification of R53 550, paid on his request towards the tuition fees of the daughter of a then acting judge from Mpambani.
It is further alleged that in June 2015, Magashule accepted payment of R470 000, paid on his request to M-TAG Systems for the acquisition of 200 electronic tablets from Mpambani.
Furthermore, it is alleged that in June 2015, Magashule accepted a payment of R30 000, paid on his request to SWC Nkate from Mpambani.
Between November 2015 and January 2016, a payment of R250 000, on his request, was made by Mpambani to Astra Travel towards travel expenses of an ANC delegation to Cuba.
It is further alleged that Magashule failed to report corrupt transactions in contravention of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act 12 of 2004.