Luxury Homes and Car Linked to Free State Asbestos Tender Fraud to Be Sold After Court Ruling
- The NPA secured a R32 million court order to forfeit assets linked to the Free State asbestos tender case
- The Free State High Court ruled that six luxury properties and a Mercedes-Benz linked to the alleged corruption are to be sold
- 18 accused, including former Premier Ace Magashule, face charges related to the R255 million tender fraud
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Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.
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FREE STATE - The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has secured a court order to forfeit assets worth about R32 million linked to the Free State asbestos roofing tender case.
Proceeds of alleged fraud and corruption
According to The Citizen, the Free State High Court ruled that six luxury properties in Sandton and Randburg, as well as a Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG, were proceeds of alleged fraud and corruption tied to the project. Authorities found that funds from the Free State Department of Human Settlements were used to acquire the assets, which are now set to be sold. The case centres on a 2014 tender awarded to Diamond Hill Trading 71 and Blackhead Consulting to remove and replace asbestos roofing in the province.
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A total of 18 accused are facing charges related to the R255 million tender, including former Free State Premier Ace Magashule and his former personal assistant Moroadi Cholota. Earlier this year, the Constitutional Court of South Africa ruled that Cholota's extradition from the United States in August 2024 was unlawful, finding that the NPA had acted beyond its powers. The apex court allowed the prosecution to continue and referred the matter back to the high court to decide on Cholota's special plea. Magashule has previously criticised delays in the case, which has been ongoing since his arrest in 2020, maintaining that the allegations against him are politically motivated.
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Other fraud-related stories
Briefly News also reported that three senior officials in the Department of Health have been placed on precautionary suspension following fraud and theft charges amounting to more than R1 million. Reports from Eyewitness News indicate that those suspended are Director-General Dr Sandile Buthelezi, Deputy Director-General Dr Malixole Mahlati, and Chief Financial Officer Phaswa Mamogale. Their suspensions will remain in place until their cases are finalised or their contracts come to an end.
The Department of Education (DoE) in Mpumalanga is again in hot water over the procurement of tech devices. The DoE was previously embroiled in a scandal involving the purchase of laptops, during which over R2 million was spent on 22 laptops. That scandal led to the suspension of the Head of Department (HoD), Lucy Moyane.
The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) stated that it has uncovered what it describes as a "nefarious syndicate" operating inside the Department of Home Affairs, where officials allegedly enriched themselves by unlawfully issuing visas and residence permits. Acting SIU head Leonard Lekgetho said investigators identified four officials earning less than R25,000 per month who received a combined R16,313,327.00 in direct deposits.
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Source: Briefly News
