• 

By STAFF REPORTER

ANC’s Top six leadership is expected to engage in an ‘emergency’ meeting to discuss the arrest warrant against its secretary-general, Ace Magashule. The warrant of arrest that was issued on Tuesday by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation Unit, The Hawks, links the former Free State Premier to the whopping R255 million illegal asbestos housing project in the province.  

However, ANC national spokesperson, Pule Mabe did not confirm if indeed the ANC’s top six leaders will meet to discuss Magashule’s warrant of arrest. He said the ANC learned through media reports of the issuance of a warrant of arrest against Magashule.

“This afternoon, Secretary-General advised the movement that he will be in consultation with his legal team to best respond to the latest developments and to guide any response on the matter.

“The Secretary-General previously spoke about his imminent arrest and had requested his legal team to establish the validity of such an arrest with the relevant authorities. The Secretary-General stated on more than one occasion, including through his legal team, that he would cooperate with any process undertaken by law enforcement agencies,” he said.

Mabe added that the ANC will be monitoring these developments closely and will accordingly, communicate on any update should the need arise.

Meanwhile, Democratic Alliance in Free State welcomed the move. Free State Provincial Legislature MPL, Leona Kleynhans said: “This is in relation to the illegal Free State asbestos housing contracts in which the Department of Human Settlements was used as a vehicle to launder R255 million from the government into the pockets of various cronies.

“The matter started when the DA obtained the contract itself and documents related to the contract in May 2015. In July 2015, we approached the High Court in Bloemfontein for an urgent interdict to stop payments, because we were convinced that the contract had been established with the sole purpose of laundering money.”  

Kleynhans further said in May 2020, they lodged a criminal case with the Hawks in Bloemfontein against the former MEC Olly Mlamleli, who had been the second respondent in our 2015 case, as well as against Magashule for his dealings in the matter.

She said Mlamleli had been seated in the courtroom when the urgency of their application had been discussed.

“Our case was in terms of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, which makes a person in a position of authority, equally guilty if he is aware of a crime taking place and does not act to prevent it. Mlamleli was arrested and has appeared in court, with her trial set to continue in Bloemfontein tomorrow.

“Our complaint against Magashule, stemmed from the fact that at the time of our 2015 court case, the state legal advisor Mr Bertus Venter, had been seated in the office of the Premier, and that this office had been tasked with launching a legal defence on behalf of the MEC which the Premier had appointed,” said Kleynhans.

She said it was impossible that Magashule could not reasonably have known that his MEC had been dragged to court by the Official Opposition in the Free State Legislature. Kleynhans said they are happy that at last, the man who has allegedly been plundering the province and impoverishing its citizens since 1994 will face justice.

taungdailynews@gmail.com