Former ANC member Carl Niehaus, who resigned from the party following tensions between him and the ANC, says Magashule has been targeted through the justice system and within the ANC. 

During a briefing outside the Free State High Court in Bloemfontein on Friday 20 January 2023, Niehaus says this has since robbed the people of the country and members of the ANC of the good leadership in Magashule. He says the ANC's controversial step-aside rule adopted at the 2017 Nasrec Elective Conference was not implemented in a proper manner. He says if the policy was applied properly, it would have also sidelined current ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa, who is believed to be Magashule's political nemesis due to different political ideologies.

Magashule and 17 other suspects are appearing at the High Court today (Friday) to face charges emanating from the failed R255 million project in 2014, meant to eradicate asbestos roofing across the province.

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"No, it was not implemented properly. It was written at the 54th national [conference]. They have not implemented it on an equal basis.

"If it had been implemented equally, Cyril Ramaphosa would have not been allowed to stand as president of the ANC in this last national conference because, by the 16th of December 2022, he was already charged in relation to the (former president Jacob Zuma matter)," Niehaus adds.

Magashule, former Mangaung Metro Mayor Olly Mlamleli, and businessman Edwin Sodi are facing a variety of charges stemming from the failed 2014 project.

The suspects will appear for yet another pretrial session, which has been marred by long postponements due to a variety of issues raised around the case against the suspects.

In September 2022, Judge Phillip Loubser postponed the matter to today to allow some of the accused to petition the Bloemfontein-based Supreme Court of Appeals (SCA) ruling to dismiss leave to appeal an earlier High Court judgment.

The 18 suspects face varying charges, including fraud, corruption, and money laundering related to the 2014 project, where state money was allegedly looted and siphoned from its coffers.

It's also expected to be heard if Magashule's former personal assistant, Moroadi Cholota, who is currently abroad studying in the United States, has been added to the indictment sheet as the latest suspect in the case.

OFM News