DA Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL), Leona Kleynhans, tells OFM News that more than 32 000 families are still living under asbestos roofs in the province. She says the R255 million was stolen from the project under the name of these families and there has been no improvement in their lives. Kleynhans says it’s been more than six years waiting for justice, and it's yet to be delivered.

“We started off on this quest where we exposed this asbestos contract corruption in June 2015, when we came to the same court trying to stop payments according to those contracts. That was not successful so we then went to the Public Protector (PP). In May 2021, the PP’s report came out with very serious findings, and after that, we laid charges with the special investigating unit,” she adds.

Ace Magashule, former Mangaung Metro Mayor Olly Mlamleli, and businessman Edwin Sodi, among others, appeared in the Free State High Court on Tuesday for the continuation of their pre-trail.

Magashule and others face charges which include corruption, fraud, and money laundering. The 16 suspects are out on bail ranging from R50 000 to R500 000 after their arrest by the Hawks in November 2020, for their alleged involvement in the asbestos case.

Following the court proceedings on Tuesday, Magashule questioned the unavailability of the list of witnesses against him and labelled the case against him a political one.

OFM News