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Magashule, who stepped onto the national political stage when he was elected to the top six of the ANC in 2019, considers himself aligned with the so-called radical economic transformation faction in the ANC and Zuma.
Free State Hawks spokeswoman Captain Lynda Steyn confirmed Tuesday that the national director of public prosecution had signed an arrest warrant for Magashule.
Magashule has escaped the “Hollywood-style arrest” he complained about last month and has reportedly been given the opportunity to appear before authorities.
While the accusations against Magashule have been public for years, a criminal justice system weakened by years of political meddling and capture has meant that it has protected itself from responding to those allegations.
High-level leaders who spoke on condition of anonymity said Magashule was unlikely to step aside voluntarily and that there might not yet be an impetus for it to do so.
The strength of the state’s case will be critical to handling the political fallout, the sources said. A weak case would provide Magashule and his group with ammunition for their argument from a politically motivated case.
In the past, the ANC has reacted defensively to charges of corruption by one of its top leaders. His government disbanded the Scorpions in the wake of corruption allegations against Zuma.
Political consequences
The ANC said it had heard through the media the arrest warrant issued against Magashule and the general secretary had informed the party on Tuesday afternoon that he would consult his legal team on the way forward and guidance on how to respond.
“The secretary general spoke previously about his impending arrest and had asked his legal team to establish the validity of his arrest with the relevant authorities,” said spokesman Pule Mabe.
“The secretary general declared on more than one occasion, including through his legal team, that he would cooperate with any process undertaken by the forces of order.”
Mabe said the ANC would be closely monitoring developments and would communicate any updates should the need arise.
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