Big win for NPA in Free State asbestos roofing tender corruption scandal

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has reportedly secured a court order allowing it to forfeit assets linked to the Free State asbestos roofing tender case worth approximately R32 million.

The Free State High Court ruled that six luxury properties, some in Sandton and Randburg, and a Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG were linked to the case and used in alleged fraud and corruption.

Funds from the Free State Department of Human Settlements were found to have been used in the buying of the properties and the car.

They are now set to be sold.

The case that keeps stretching out

At the heart of a case is a 2014 tender to Diamond Hill Trading 71 and Blackhead Consulting to replace hazardous asbestos roofing in the province.

18 suspects are in the dock for the R255-million tender, including former Free State Premier and ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule and his former personal assistant Moroadi Cholota.

The Constitutional Court (ConCourt) earlier this year found that Cholota’s extradition from the United States (US) in August 2024 was unlawful.

The apex court ruled that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) had acted outside its powers when it requested her extradition.

However, the ConCourt stopped short of terminating Cholota’s prosecution, sending the matter back to the high court to rule on her special plea.

Magashule has previously vented his frustration over the numerous delays in the case that has been running since his arrest in 2020.

“It’s frustrating because it is our image out there. We are seen as corrupt people. People are not saying these are allegations, but it’s deliberate.

“It’s political. I’ve said from the onset,” he told Newzroom Afrika.

Additional reporting by Molefe Seeletsa

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