Latest news with #AceMagashule
News24
16 hours ago
- Business
- News24
The Lead: Has the NPA messed up again? Karyn Maughan on why Ace Magashule's PA walked free
She's a free woman. Moroadi Cholota, the former assistant to then-Free State Premier Ace Magashule, has won her special plea against the National Prosecuting Authority. The Free State High Court in Bloemfontein declared her extradition from the United States 'unlawful' following a Supreme Court of Appeal ruling that only the justice minister may request extradition. The ruling leaves the NPA with a bloody nose, and many legal experts have warned that this trial-within-a-trial may have far-reaching consequences. To decipher what this all means, legal journalist Karyn Maughan joins us in this edition of The Lead. Later in the show, Graeme Raubenheimer discusses the AARTO Act's consequences for errant motorists and snow forecasts nationwide. You can now send a short voice note of 15 to 20 seconds with your questions or thoughts on this episode to our official The Lead WhatsApp line, that's: +27 72 562 3179. Mail your comments to thelead@ Editions drop Monday through Thursday at 19:00 on Spotify, Apple and YouTube. Listen on YouTube: Listen on Apple Podcasts:
Daily Maverick
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Maverick
The NPA illustrates the rot within South African institutions
The decision by the Free State High Court to withdraw charges against Moroadi Cholota, the former assistant to former ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule, reveals the level of crisis within the NPA. But the NPA is just one example of a government institution in which officials either resist change or simply refuse to work, often aided by politicians. There will, no doubt, be several legal examinations of Tuesday's decision, in which Judge Phillip Loubser said his court had no authority to try former Free State premier Ace Magashule's former assistant, Moroadi Cholota, because the NPA had instituted her extradition from the US, while legally it should have been the Justice Ministry. While the legal correctness of this decision might be examined by higher courts, the public perception is likely to be dominated by a question of why legal technicalities matter so much. Of course, to lawyers, judges and the rule of law, they absolutely matter. But to many people, they are simply a way for people to avoid justice. The best example of this is former president Jacob Zuma, who has been able to avoid a fair trial since 2003. No accountability for the powerful The message this sends is that there is no accountability for those in power. But it also suggests that despite the reams of evidence heard at the Zondo commission, and the findings that it made, no convictions will come from it. For the moment, it seems that there is no big desire by voters to change our legal system, to remove some of the rights of those accused of wrongdoing. Considering our past, this is entirely legitimate. But if those in power continue to be able to avoid accountability, it is likely that first, trust in the justice system will continue to decline, and second, parties that propose limiting the rights of the accused will grow stronger. One of the important lessons from the NPA is that despite having independent leadership that appears determined to deliver justice, the institution itself is still very weak. The history of how the NPA was captured was being written almost in real time. People like Lawrence Mrwebi or Nomgcobo Jiba were in leadership positions there for many months. Both were found by the courts to be 'not fit and proper' for their positions. During the time they were there, it is likely that they packed the NPA with people who either supported their views or would never challenge their views. Ramaphosa But politicians have played an important role in keeping the NPA weak, too. Perhaps the person who has played the biggest role in weakening the NPA is President Cyril Ramaphosa. One of the important figures in the NPA during the State Capture period was the head of prosecutions in Johannesburg, Andrew Chauke. He was involved in delaying cases against former Gauteng Health MEC Brian Hlongwe and helped to bring a now debunked case against former KwaZulu-Natal Hawks Head Johann Booysen (Chauke has delivered a robust response to the claims against him, including in a TV interview with this writer). In 2023, National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi formally asked Ramaphosa to suspend him from his position (under the law, only the President can suspend someone in this job). Two years later, Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said that the matter was at an 'advanced stage'. This is nonsense. If Ramaphosa really believed in the rule of law, and if he wanted a properly independent NPA, he would have suspended Chauke the moment he could. Worse for the NPA has been the Justice Ministry's refusal to share the Zondo commission database with it. Again, this must be deliberate. Even if there is some legal reason to make this difficult for the NPA, this would be for the courts hearing State Capture prosecutions to determine, not the Justice Ministry. However, it must be remembered that the situation at the NPA is repeated in many other institutions. Culture of resistance On Monday, the chair of the National Lotteries Commission, Barney Pityana, told 702's Bongani Bingwa about the difficulties he is facing in fixing the organisation, after the incredible corruption that happened there. Pityana appeared to be particularly critical of former Department of Trade, Industry and Competition minister Ebrahim Patel. One of his problems is that only the minister can appoint distributing agents to distribute funds, and the commission only had two or three when it should have had 11. As Pityana put it, 'For a long time, minister Patel was stuck with this appointment for reasons best known to him.' Pityana also said that within the organisation, 'There's internal resistance to some of the changes being made in the organisation, therefore compliance, we admit, has been a very difficult issue.' Pityana is almost pointing to a culture of people in important organisations that resist change. In some cases, it may simply be that they do not believe there is any reason for change. Or that workers in many government institutions feel that there is no reason for them to work, because it seems virtually impossible for them to be fired. The Sunday Times published an important report last weekend about the situation in Gauteng metros. It would appear that many permanently employed workers tell bosses that they can't be fired, and thus can't be forced to work. This culture has been evident in councils for many years. It could explain why services do not improve, whether it is a DA-led coalition taking over from an ANC-led coalition or the other way round. This toxic mix of a refusal by workers to change, and political interference (or so often just a refusal to act), may help to explain why so many institutions are not improving. Unfortunately, coalition politics is unlikely to make major changes. In institutions where this culture exists, workers may feel they can just outlast a new boss, knowing that they will still be there after she becomes frustrated and leaves. Ministers and others with political authority are likely to continue interfering or just doing nothing. This means that we can continue to expect the NPA, and so many institutions like it, to simply keep stumbling. DM
News24
2 days ago
- Business
- News24
Budget 3.0 on track; R900K accommodation for Mashatile: Today's top 7 stories in 7 minutes
News24 brings you the top 7 stories of the day. News24 brings you the top stories of the day, summarised into neat little packages. Read through quickly or listen to the articles via our customised text-to-speech feature. Mlungisi Louw/Gallo Images/Volksblad Asbestos tender trial postponed to 2026, frustrating Ace Magashule - The asbestos tender case involving former Free State premier Ace Magashule has been postponed to 26 January 2026, frustrating Magashule. - The postponement follows the State's request to appeal the court's ruling upholding Moroadi Cholota's special plea regarding her extradition. - Magashule expressed his dissatisfaction with the delay, questioning the State's readiness and citing the likelihood of further postponements. Land of the rising costs: R900 000 for accommodation for Mashatile, wife on R2.3m Japan trip - Deputy President Paul Mashatile's trip to Japan in March cost taxpayers R2.3 million, including over R900 000 for his and his wife's lodgings. - Mashatile's lavish spending on international trips, including a previous R5 million trip to Ireland and the UK, is under scrutiny following revelations about his opulent lifestyle. - ActionSA is questioning the high costs of executive travel, calculating that such expenses have already cost taxpayers over R184 million since July of last year. Phill Magakoe/Gallo Images Two young sisters in therapy after alleged sexual assault by motorsport executive - Two young sisters allegedly sexually assaulted by a motorsport executive are undergoing psychological and medical assessments. - The accused appeared in court on Wednesday, facing charges including rape, sexual assault and sexual grooming of a minor; the case was postponed to 13 August for further investigation. - The parents of the girls expressed their concern for their children's well-being and emphasised the importance of protecting children and listening to them when they speak up about abuse. 'Too aloof, too arrogant': MKP prepares to name new SG after Shivambu's reshuffle to Parly - Floyd Shivambu has been removed as the MK Party's secretary-general and will be redeployed to Parliament, reportedly due to 'sloppy' administration and his aloofness. - Phumlani Mfeka, a traditional leader and Jacob Zuma loyalist, is expected to be announced as the new secretary-general, having been personally lobbied by Zuma to join his party. - Busisiwe Mkhwebane and Bongani Baloyi were considered for the position, but Mfeka's influence with traditional leaders gave him more political weight within the party. Storm Simpson/News24 Budget 3.0 on track: Bonds extend gains as finance committee backs fiscal framework - South African lawmakers have backed the National Treasury's fiscal framework, signalling the annual Budget is likely to be approved. - The National Assembly's finance committee approved the framework, which outlines economic policy, revenue projections and spending limits. - South African bonds rallied following the news, with the benchmark government rand bond yield falling significantly. Rachel Kolisi's switch from Benz to Yaris sparks debate on humility, divorce and marriage law - Rachel Kolisi shared on Instagram about driving a borrowed Toyota Yaris instead of her Mercedes-Benz, sparking speculation about her financial situation post-separation from Siya Kolisi. - A legal expert clarified that without details of their divorce or marital property regime, it's unclear if Rachel's car choice reflects financial challenges or a personal decision. - South African divorce laws can lead to lifestyle adjustments for one spouse, depending on marital property arrangements, liability distribution or a spousal maintenance application.
The Citizen
2 days ago
- General
- The Citizen
NPA failures need more scrutiny
The NPA's inability to jail state capture suspects like Moroadi Cholota continues to erode public confidence. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) considers that it was unlucky in the ruling handed down by the Free State High Court in Bloemfontein which allowed one of former Free State premier Ace Magashule's corruption co-accused to walk free. NPA national spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga said the organisation was 'taken aback by the judgment' because the NPA believed Moroadi Cholota and her lawyers were effectively appealing the United States judgment which permitted her extradition from there. Clearly, he missed Bloemfontein judge Philip Loubser stating 'it is undeniable that the state presented false and incorrect information to United States authorities', information upon which those authorities acted in good faith and deported Cholota. Without getting into the legal minutiae, this is clearly another example where the NPA has failed to progress a case against a high-profile state capture accused. It has now been eight years since the release of the 'Gupta Leaks' information which fingered a host of ANC-connected individuals in state capture. ALSO READ: NPA 'taken aback' over Moroadi Cholota extradition ruling, hints at appeal In that time, the NPA has failed in a number of attempts to finalise successful prosecutions, including those involving the Estina Dairy, former Eskom executive Matshela Koko, ANC politician Zizi Kodwa and the extradition of the Gupta brothers from the United Arab Emirates to stand trial in South Africa. It's an often-aired, but manifestly true, complaint from the public that, despite the massive coverage of apparently well-sourced allegations in the media about state capture, no politician or business person has ended up behind bars wearing an orange prison uniform. There are three possible reasons for that. First, all these good citizens are innocent and it has been a plot by white monopoly capital-bought media. Second, the level of incompetence within the NPA beggars belief. Finally, the NPA is being 'persuaded' – one way or another – to not do its job properly. You decide which one is most likely… NOW READ: NPA lacking in lottery probe
Eyewitness News
3 days ago
- Business
- Eyewitness News
State prosecutors and investigators' conduct under scrutiny after Cholota extradition overturned
BLOEMFONTEIN - The conduct of State prosecutors and investigators in the asbestos corruption trial is under scrutiny after Ace Magashule's former Personal Assistant, Moroadi Cholota, was let off on a technicality. On Tuesday, the Bloemfontein High Court ruled Cholota's extradition from the United States (US) in 2024 was unlawful and unconstitutional, after she accused the state of submitting falsified documents to United States (US) authorities. Cholota's special plea saw the court hear arguments in a trial within a trial about the lawfulness of the extradition and the court's jurisdiction to try her alongside her former boss and 16 others in the R255 million corruption case. Tuesday's judgment means Cholota will now be removed from the indictment. During the court ruling, Judge Phillip Loubser said, 'Consequently, I have to find that the prosecution has not found reasonable doubt or at all that there was a valid or lawful request from South Africa for the extradition of Ms Cholota from the United States. It follows that if there was no valid extradition request, then the extradition itself was without any basis and, therefore, unlawful.'
