NATIONAL PROSECUTING AUTHORITY (NPA) Statement on court appearance and charges faced by former Free State premier, and current ANC Secretary General Ace Magashule

1. 1
NATIONAL PROSECUTING AUTHORITY
South Africa
PRESS RELEASE
EMBARGO: IMMEDIATE RELEASE
13 NOVEMBER 2020
FORMER PREMIER APPEARS ON CORRUPTION CHARGES, GRANTED BAIL
FormerFree State PremierSekgobeloElias“Ace”Magashule (61) wasreleasedonR200 000 bail after
he appeared briefly in the Bloemfontein Magistrates Court on 21 charges of corruption and fraud,
alternatively theft and money laundering
The matter was postponed to 19 February 2021 for addition of at least three more accused persons
on the chargesheetandto joinMagashule withthe restof the accused. He was orderedtosurrender
his passport, he must inform the investigating team if he wishes to travel abroad and not to be in
contact with any witnessesparticularlyhisformer secretary, Moroadi Cholota. Inthisregard,he may
not, directly or through third parties, make any contact with her.
This followsthe appearance of Johannesburgbusinessmanand ownerof BlackheadConsulting(Pty),
Pheagane EdwinSodi (47), headof departmentof FreeState HumanSettlements(FSDoHS), Nthimotse
Mokhesi (61); Director Supply Chain Management at the FSDoHS, Mahlomola John Matlakala (42);
Fourways businessman, Sello JosephRadebe (56); Pretoria businessman, Abel Kgotso Manyeki (38);
formerDirector-General of National Departmentof HumanSettlements,Thabane WisemanZulu(53);
and a former Free State MEC for Human Settlements and former Mayor of Mangaung, Sarah
Matawana Mlamleli (63).
The seven were also arrested by members of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation(DPCI),
the Hawks, inthe Free State,Kwazulu-NatalandGauteng.Thisis subsequenttoan investigationthat
was initiated by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) which referred the matter to the NPA and the
Hawks.
It is alleged that various payments were made by FSDoHS to Diamond Hill Trading 71-Blackhead JV
which Phikolomzi Mpambani and Sodi were the account holders. This is after the company was
appointed by Mokhesi as a service provider on a contract of R 255 000 000.00. Mpambani was
murdered in Johannesburg in 2017.
It is alleged that in August2015, Magashule corruptly accepted gratification of R 53 550-00, paid on
hisrequesttowardsthe tuitionfeesofthe daughterof athenactingjudge fromMpambani.Itisfurther
allegedthat in June 2015 Magashule, accepted payment of R 470 000-00, paidon his request to M –
TAG Systems for the acquisition of 200 Electronic tablets from Mpambani.

2. 2
Furthermore, it is allegedthat in June 2015 Magashule accepted a payment of R 30 000-00, paid on
hisrequestto S W C Nkate from Mpambani.BetweenNovember 2015 and January 2016, a payment
of R 250 000-00, onhis request,wasmade byMpambani toAstra Travel towardstravel expensesof a
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.
This ispart of a criminal investigationbythe Free State membersof the Hawks,the Free State Office
of the DPP and other NPA like the SCCU and the AFU into allegations of fraud to the value of R255
millionwascommittedinthe appointmentof BlackheadConsultantsforthe"assessmentandremoval
of asbestos roofs and/or housing".
The investigations are complete not only for Mgashule but all the 13 accused. We expect at
least three more suspects to be arrested and added to the charge. On the next court
appearance the matter will be transferred to the High Court because the investigations are
done and we are ready for trial.
Ends.
Issued by Sipho Ngwema
National Spokesperson of the NPA.
For more information call him at 082 499 8111.