The Provincial Secretary, Bhekie Stofile, in a statement says they are also calling for heavy sentences against those who benefitted unduly from public resources. 

This comes after the State on Friday requested that the matter between ANC Secretary-General, Ace Magashule, and others be transferred to the Free State High Court for a pre-trial.

Magashule and others face more than 70 counts of fraud, theft, attempted theft, and corruption in contravention of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, amongst others. 

Stofile says that the SACP in the Free State has consistently campaigned against corruption and also welcomed the arrests in connection with the R255 million Free State provincial asbestos audit tender.

He adds that community members remain vulnerable to asbestos exposure, despite millions of Rands squandered.

"The SACP welcomes the court’s progress on Friday in setting August 2021 as the pre-trial date for the case and hopes there will be no further postponements. Whilst the SACP hoped for an earlier date, we nonetheless welcome the settlement reached. 

"The SACP reiterates that this process must be pursued speedily and at the end, where the prosecution is successful, we call for severe sentences accompanied by asset forfeiture against those who benefitted unduly from public resources," Stofile further adds.

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