No more Aces up their sleeves?
Is it too soon to hope that, now that Ace has seemingly been removed from the 'radical economic transformation' and state capture pack, the whole corrupt house of cards might come tumbling down?
ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule holds a media briefing to discuss the outcomes of its four-day National Executive Committee meeting at Luthuli House, Johannesburg, 2 October, 2019. Picture: Emmanuel Croset
Having an ANC leader – secretary-general Ace Magashule, in this case – appearing before a court to answer for alleged abuse of taxpayers’ money is something many thought they would never see.
The party has long proclaimed its commitment to fighting corruption and to running a clean administration.
Yet, even under President Cyril Ramaphosa – the man many hoped would “save” South Africa – the looting has continued … and become even more morally repugnant because the ANC’s cadres could not resist “eating” from money intended to help fight the biggest health crisis this country has faced.
A warrant of arrest has been issued for Magashule by the Hawks and, apparently, he and his lawyers are preparing to present themselves before court on Friday in initial proceedings about alleged corruption related to a R255 million project to assess the prevalence of toxic asbestos in houses.
Predictably, the move against Magashule is claimed – by that quintessentially empty vessel Carl Niehaus – to be part of a factional conspiracy within the ANC to rid it of those aligned to former president Jacob Zuma.
However, no matter what he and other blusterers may say, our courts can still be relied upon to judge on the evidence before them.
And, after shake-ups in the previously “captured” National Prosecuting Authority, cases are being prepared with care. This all must leave Zuma’s hangers-on quite worried.
If the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture under Judge Raymond Zondo is anything to go by, their excuses and lies won’t stand up in court for long.
On the other hand, led by Zuma, they have shown they will fight to their last breath to avoid jail. This is just the beginning.
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