Free State Premier Ace Magashule.
The Democratic Alliance has laid a criminal complaint against former Free State premier and ANC secretary general Ace Magashule over contracts for RDP houses awarded to his daughter’s company.
This comes after News24 last month revealed the Free State department of human settlements awarded contracts worth R150-million to Unital Holdings, a company in which Magashule’s daughter, Thoko Malembe, owns a 30% stake.
The report detailed how Magashule’s office had been involved in a process that led to a rival contractor being booted off the project before his daughter’s company secured the contracts.
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The DA’s Free State leadership, including provincial leader Patricia Kopane and Roy Jankielsohn, DA leader in the provincial legislature, laid the complaint at the Bethlehem SAPS on Monday morning. The RDP houses in question were built in an area known as Vogelfontein or Baken Park, situated on the outskirts of the eastern Free State town.
The delegation of DA leaders was joined by local councillors from Bethlehem’s Dihlabeng Local Municipality.
The party said in a statement that it laid the complaint in accordance with the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act.
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“These allegations must be fully investigated and if they prove true, Magashule must be held accountable in terms of the act, which expressly prohibits the use of improper influence to secure a contract for a public body or private organisation,” said the DA.
“The DA looks forward to a timely conclusion of the investigation into Ace Magashule and his accomplices in the Vogelfontein RDP housing development who have robbed residents of their right to decent accommodation,” the party added.