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Ace Magashule

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Ace Magashule
5th Premier of the Free State
In office
6 May 2009 – 27 March 2018
Preceded byBeatrice Marshoff
Succeeded bySisi Ntombela
16th Secretary-General of the African National Congress
Incumbent
Assumed office
18 December 2017
(Suspended from office on 3 May 2021)
DeputyJessie Duarte
Preceded byGwede Mantashe
Personal details
Born
Elias Sekgobelo Magashule

(1959-11-03) 3 November 1959 (age 64)
Tumahole, Orange Free State, Union of South Africa[1]
Political partyAfrican National Congress
(suspended)
ChildrenTshepiso Magashule (son)
Alma materUniversity of Fort Hare (BA)
OccupationPolitician, activist
ProfessionTeacher

Elias Sekgobelo "Ace" Magashule (born 3 November 1959) is a South African politician and an anti-apartheid activist who has been suspended from the position of Secretary General of the African National Congress since 3 May 2021. He served as the Premier of the Free State, one of South Africa's nine provinces, from 2009 until 2018.

Magashule has been the subject of many allegations of involvement in corrupt activities.[2] He was arrested in November 2020 and awaits trial.[3]

Early life

Magashule attended Tumahole Primary School (now Lembede Primary) in Parys[4] and Phehellang Secondary School. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Fort Hare University[5]

After graduating, he taught at Moqhaka High School in Sebokeng, and later at Phehellang High School in Tumahole.[6]

Anti-apartheid activism

While at the University of Fort Hare, in 1982, he was arrested following a protest against a visit by Ciskei Prime Minister Lennox Sebe, and convicted of public violence.[7] His official ANC biography claims that he was charged with high treason.[8] However, court records show that he was never arrested nor tried for treason.[9]

Magashule was a member of Tumahole Youth Congress in the 1980s and played a role in United Democratic Front in Northern Free State in the 1980s and participated in organising rent boycotts in Tumahole. He was detained for his role in UDF activities in 1985.[10] He went to exile in 1989 and returned in 1991 after unbanning of ANC/SACP and PAC.[11]

Political career

  • Elected Chairperson of ANC's Northern Free State Region in 1991.
  • Elected Deputy-Chairperson of ANC in the Free State in 1994.
  • Served as MEC of Economic Affairs between 1994 and 1996[12]
  • Served as MEC of Transport.
  • Deployed to National Assembly, August 1997.
  • Provincial Chairperson of the African National Congress (ANC) in the Free State, 1998.[13]
  • Re-elected as Chairperson of ANC PEC in Free State in 2002.
  • Served as MEC of Agriculture between 2004 and 2005[14]
  • Re-elected as Chairperson of ANC PEC in Free State in 2005.
  • Elected to ANC National Executive Committee during the 52nd ANC National Conference in 2007 at Polokwane.
  • Re-elected as Chairperson of ANC PEC in Free State in 2008[5]
  • Served as MEC of Sports, Arts and Recreation between 2007 and 2008.
  • Served as MEC of Safety and Security in 2008.

Magashule was appointed as Premier of the Free State on 6 May 2009,[15][16] replacing Beatrice Marshoff. As Premier, he initiated Operation Hlasela, a campaign to fight poverty in the Free State, and established a bursary fund for tertiary students in the Premier's office.[17]

He was elected Secretary General of the African National Congress in December 2017 during the party's elective conference.

Corruption allegations

Magashule has been the subject of many journalistic investigations alleging his corrupt activities.[2] In 2011 Magashule and Mohloua Seoe were linked to a government property deal that was awarded to a company of which both were once co-directors.[11] In November 2017 the winner of a tender from the provincial government Magashule headed alleged that Magashule had personally encouraged him to act as a front for the contract.[18]

In January 2018, the Hawks unit of South Africa's Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation raided Magashule's offices in connection with the Vrede Dairy Project, calling it a "scheme designed to defraud and steal monies" from the Free State Department of Agriculture.[19][20] A warrant for his arrest was issued by the Hawks on 10 November 2020 for corruption relating to a R255-million asbestos audit contract when he was premier of the Free State.[21][22]

Children

One of his sons, Tshepiso "Gift" Magashule, was employed as a consultant by the Gupta family since November 2010, shortly after Duduzane Zuma was brought under their influence. In 2011 Gift joined the Gupta brothers on a three-week holiday to New York and Venice, and he was later appointed as a director in a Gupta company, earning R90,000 a month. Ace Magashule alleged that Gift's link to the Guptas was no secret. In 2015 the Guptas treated Gift and his brother Thato to an eight-day stay in the Oberoi Hotel, Dubai.[23]

In 2015 a busy Shell fuel station in Phuthaditjhaba, owned by the Free State Development Corporation (FDC), was acquired by Ace's 27-year-old daughter Thoko Alice Malembe. As the deal involved an R11.5 million upfront rental fee from Shell, and a purchase price of R2.9 million, reportedly below its market value, it resulted in a windfall of some R8.9 million for Malembe's MMAT trust. Magashule denied any involvement, despite a security video of 18 December 2014 which confirmed his exploratory visit to the fuel station, in the company of two FDC board members, and apparently, Malembe.[11] The fuel station's 60 employees had to be retrenched by their former employer, when it lost its case against the FDC.[24] After she was reunited with her father in 2011, Malembe registered Botlokwa Holdings in 2013,[25] which managed to secure a series of government tenders and property deals from the Free State provincial government. Malembe's trust or company also acquired a Botshabelo fuel station from the FDC for R2.88 million (or R4 million according to the FDC), despite an offer of R5.5 million from another investor.[11]

Associates

Ace Magashule is a long-time friend of Hantsi Matseke, chairperson of the FDC. Matseke owns Maono Construction which has been awarded contracts worth R515 million by government departments and municipalities in the Free State. Magashule has denied influencing any of these. Maono Construction has however subcontracted work to Malembe's Botlokwa Holdings.[11]

Arrest and criminal charges

On 10 November 2020, Magashule was arrested after a warrant was issued by the Directorate for Primary Crime Investigation on 21 charges of corruption, theft, fraud and money laundering.[3] Three days later, Magashule appeared in a Bloemfontein, South Africa court for a bail hearing.[3]

In May 2021 he was suspended from the position of Secretary General of the African National Congress until the outcome of these court proceedings.[26] He declared that he did not accept his suspension and in turn sought to suspend Cyril Ramaphosa, the President of the African National Congress and of South Africa.[27] On 13 September 2021, the Gauteng High Court dismissed Magashule's application to appeal his suspension.[28] The pre-trial hearing for charges of corruption and money laundering is scheduled to take place on 3 November 2021.[29]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Profile of the Free State Premier". Free State Government. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  2. ^ a b Myburgh, Pieter-Louis (2019). Gangster State: Unravelling Ace Magashule's Web of Capture. Penguin Random House South Africa. ISBN 978-1-77609-375-5.
  3. ^ a b c Hamill, James (1 December 2020). "A Ruling Party Official's Arrest Boosts South Africa's Fight Against Corruption". World Politics Review. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  4. ^ "Free State News". freestatenews-eric.blogspot.co.za. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  5. ^ a b edwin. "Ace Magashule elected ANC secretary general | Afro Voice". Afro Voice. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  6. ^ "Ace Magashule". mybroadband.co.za. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  7. ^ Myburgh, Pieter-Louis (2019). Gangster State: Unravelling Ace Magashule's Web of Capture. Penguin Random House.
  8. ^ "Elias Sekgobelo Magashule | African National Congress". African National Congress. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  9. ^ "Little trace of Ace Magashule's tale of struggle, book finds". TimesLive. 31 March 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  10. ^ Tshabalala, Bongani. "Magashule revels in Sparkling Cleaning Campaign". Free State News. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  11. ^ a b c d e Myburgh, Pieter-Louis (31 January 2018). "Magashule and daughter in money-for-jam property scandal". News24. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  12. ^ "PressReader.com – Connecting People Through News". www.pressreader.com. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  13. ^ ovatheme_. "Hon Ace Magashule | Free State Investors Global Investors Trade Bridge|free state premier ace magashule". freestateglobaltrade.co.za. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  14. ^ "Magashule premier in waiting | IOL News". Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  15. ^ "Free State welcomes 'Dr Ace' after premier awarded an honorary doctorate". News24. Archived from the original on 4 October 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  16. ^ "Magashule elected as Free State premier". IOL News. SAPA. 6 May 2009. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  17. ^ "Free State student exchange programme bridges skills gap". www.bizcommunity.com. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  18. ^ "amaBhungane – Dodgy World Cup deal comes back to bite Free State premier Ace Magashule". amabhungane.co.za. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  19. ^ "NPA freezes R220m, land linked to Gupta farm". 20 January 2018.
  20. ^ Bateman, Barry (25 January 2018). "Hawks Raid FS Premier's Office Over Gupta-linked Vrede Dairy Farm".
  21. ^ Scorpio, Pieter-Louis Myburgh for (10 November 2020). "SCORPIO BREAKING: Arrest warrant issued for ANC SG Ace Magashule over Free State asbestos saga". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  22. ^ Zulu, Sifiso. "Hawks confirm arrest warrant issued for Magashule over FS asbestos scandal". ewn.co.za. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  23. ^ Cameron, Jackie (12 June 2017). "Groomed by Guptas: How Free State Premier Ace Magashule, son Gift were caught and captured". amaBhungane. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  24. ^ Bateman, Barry (February 2018). "Magashule helped daughter secure property deals worth millions – Report". Eyewitness News. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  25. ^ Choane, Pulane (22 February 2018). "'Ace's daughter got tenders on merit'". Bloemfontein Courant. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  26. ^ Letshwiti-Jones, Pule; Hunter, Qaanitah (5 May 2021). "ANC suspends secretary-general Ace Magashule". News24. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  27. ^ Hunter, Qaanitah. "Ace Magashule wrote backdated suspension letter to Cyril Ramaphosa to cause trouble - ANC insiders". News24. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  28. ^ Khumalo, Juniour (13 September 2021). "ANC welcomes High Court's dismissal of Magashule's appeal of suspension". News24. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  29. ^ du Plessis, Carien (19 October 2021). "Ace Magashule appears in Bloemfontein High Court, claims the corruption case against him is a smear". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
Political offices
Preceded by Premier of the Free State
6 May 2009 – 27 March 2018 		Succeeded by
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