Dukwana instead claims that he is determined to point out any wrongdoing and emphasise that he has never failed as the MEC in the province. His comments come a day before Magashule and others appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court on Friday on charges of corruption relating to the failed R255 million asbestos project.

Dukwana says Magashule tried his all to destabilise his tenure as the MEC for Economic Development by interfering with the work and processes of the department.

Dukwana held a media briefing on Thursday, a day after a group of ANC members calling itself the Radical Economic Transformation (RET) forces pledged their unwavering support for Magashule and former Mangaung mayor, Olly Mlamleli.

“When I was in the department of Economic Development, it was actually Magashule that did everything in his power to see me fail. I am the only MEC during that time who worked with four different Heads of the Departments (HODs) from 2009 to 2012 and that was meant to destabilise the department. Every time a new HOD was appointed - and remember at the time Ace had no powers to appoint HODs - I would get the HOD who would come to me and tell me that he has been told to go help in the Department of Education and we will advertise for a new HOD,” Dukwana adds.

Dukwana previously implicated Magashule’s at the State Capture Commission of Inquiry that there was a system of patronage in the Free State during Magashule's tenure. He told the commission that politicians in the Free State, including the police, were highly compromised from the lowest to the highest rank.

He previously said during his tenure as an MEC, he was offered R2 million monthly in exchange for his signature on a document that would have authorised a R41.8 billion government investment deal to build a "New City" in the Lejweleputswa District Municipality, which would have benefited the controversial Gupta family, Magashule and their associates.

Dukwana further stated that Magashule was the one who introduced him to the family and arranged a meeting at the Gupta family’s compound in Saxonwold back in 2011, where the offer was made.

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