SA Slams Edwin Sodi After He Appears in Court and Pleads Not Guilty to Corruption Charges

• Businessman Edwin Sodi and former Free State Premier Ace Magashule appeared before the Bloemfontein High Court on 15 April 2025
• The two and 16 others have been charged relating to a R255 million asbestos tender Sodi was awarded in 2014
• Sodi pleaded not guilty to the charges, and South Africans were unimpressed by his calm demeanour throughout the proceedings

During his four years at Daily Sun, Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist, contributed coverage of criminal activities, investigations and court proceedings in South Africa.

BLOEMFONTEIN, FREE STATE — Businessman Edwin Sodi appeared before the Bloemfontein High Court in the Free State on 15 April 2025. He pleaded not guilty to the corruption charges related to a R255 million asbestos tender involving former Free State Premier Ace Magashule.

What happened at the Bloemfontein High Court?

Sodi, Magashule and 16 others have been charged with relation to the tender which dated back to 2014. He pleaded not guilty to eight counts of corruption. He appeared laid back, calm, relaxed and nonchalant during the proceedings in a video Newzroom Afrika posted on X. He even smiled as the judge read out his charge sheet.

Read also

Murder case against Xolani Khumalo provisionally withdrawn, SA reacts: "Incompetence of the NPA exposed again"

View the X video here:

Why did Edwin Sodi appear in court?

Magashule, in 2014, allegedly awarded Sodi's business the tender which was purposed to eradicate cancer-causing asbestos in 300,000 houses. However, none of the work was ever done. The State argued that proper procedure wasn't followed when the tender was awarded. It also argued that the contracts the Department of Human Settlement in the Free State awarded Edwin Sodi were irregular and illegal.

What you need to know about the Magashule-Sodi case

• In August 2021, Magashule and his co-accused appeared before the Bloemfontein High Court and the case was postponed to October of the same year
• He said the charges against him were politically motivated and were an attempt to remove him from his position as the African National Congress's Secretary-General
• The former Gauteng Department of Human Settlement's head, Margaret-Ann Diedricks, was arrested in July 2022 for her part in the case, and was granted R100,000 bail
• Magashule's former secretary, Moroadi Cholota, was granted bail in August 2024 after she was arrested for her role in the irregularly-awarded tender
• She contested her arrest in the same month and alleged that it was unlawful

Read also

ActionSA calls for justice for 13 rape victims of alleged serial rapist

What did South Africans say?

Netizens were unimpressed with Sodi's demeanour.

Nadia Polony said:

"A show-trial. He's not even concentrating. He knows that the ANC has got his back."

OnlyfortheBrave said:

"The NPA (National Prosecuting Authority) is scared of Sodi."

Jumpman said:

"The man even smiles. He knows he's untouchable."

ElChapo Guzman said:

"The man knows he's not going to jail."

Truly Him said:

"He gets to drive his R16 million Lamborghini while people in poor communities suffer because of his corruption."

Edwin Sodi expands nightclub business

In a related article, Briefly News reported that Sodi expanded his nightclub business portfolio and bought a nightclub in Cape Town in November 2024. This was despite facing charges of corruption related to the asbestos tender.

Sodi reportedly launched the club on 29 November, a year after he bought a portion of LIV Sandton, the club formerly known as Taboo. South Africans were angry and called him out for his alleged corrupt activities.

Read also

Justice Minister orders reopening of inquests into Albert Luthuli and Griffiths Mxenge’s deaths

"Despite the millions of rands he stole that were meant to supply water to the people of Hammanskraal?" a netizen asked.

Source: Briefly News