The DA's provincial leader, Roy Jankielsohn, said the former ANC Secretary-General's (SG) first option is to retire completely from politics. 

The second option is to continue with politics in a new party. However, this choice will have a great impact on the ANC. “Magashule can continue to participate in politics through a new political movement, registered as a political party, and participate in future elections.” 

Jankielsohn added that this choice will have an impact on the ANC in the province, which is Magashule’s traditional stronghold and this choice has the potential to split the provincial ANC.

Magashule resigned as premier in December 2017 after he was elected as SG. The Special Investigative Unit (SIU) is investigating the state of affairs in the Office of the Premier, which includes Magashule’s tenure period as premier, and his successor’s, now former premier Sisi Ntombela.  

The SIU spokesperson, Kaizer Kganyago, said President Cyril Ramaphosa requested it to investigate allegations of serious maladministration in the affairs of the Office of the Premier in the Free State, as identified by the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA), Tsakani Maluleke. He said this follows a report by Maluleke, titled “Report of the Auditor-General to the Free State Legislature on Vote no. 1: Department of the Premier,” dated 31 July 2019 and 27 October 2020. Kganyago said the unit's investigating team will also focus on the Office of the Premier’s annual report for the 2017/18 financial year concerning the approval, allocation, or payment of bursaries, including travel and accommodation, among others.

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The national spokesperson for Cope, Dennis Bloem, said for years the party alleged that corruption and maladministration have destroyed the Free State. Bloem said the unit in its investigations must also include the R3.5 million funeral expenses claimed to be of the late former MEC of Education in the Free State Tate Makgoe. 

Cope also wants the SIU to expand the investigation by looking into the influence and relationship that Magashule and Ntombela had with all municipalities in the Free State. 

“Whilst we welcome the investigation we expect that this investigation must dig deep into the rot that happened over many years in the Free State. We call upon the Director of Public Prosecution, Shamila Batohi, to take corruption cases seriously. 

“The Free State is destroyed by rampant corruption that took place over many years. People want to see those who have caused this damage to go to jail. We cannot allow a situation where people who have destroyed the Free State and left a trail of destruction to still walk the streets without any consequences.”

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