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By Mayibongwe Maqhina 
13h ago
Johannesburg – Former personal assistant to the ANC secretary general, Ace Magashule, will continue to testify on behalf of the state at his trial next year.
NPA Sipho Ngwema made the comment while being interviewed by SAfm following a City Press report that Moroadi Cholota was shocked to learn from the media after Magashule’s first court appearance, who had become a state witness.
Ngwema said that Cholota has made a 100% commitment to testify for the state.
He also said that the newspaper did not speak to the witness and used selected emails that would have taken place between the investigation team and the witness in mid-November.
“However, we know that we are talking to the witness and the witness is 100% committed. She has agreed to testify on matters of her knowledge surrounding asbestos.”
Ngwema also said it was in the nature of similar cases that people wanted parallel cases to take place outside of the court of law.
“It’s good for them to galvanize support and try to create a parallel process,” he said.
Ngwema confirmed that there was interaction with Cholota where he did not understand some of the processes that led to the people becoming witnesses for the State.
He insisted that there was a selection of the correspondence he got into.
“Subsequently, he engaged in that email thread where he pledged to help the state and pledged to cooperate 100%,” Ngwenya said.
Magashule appeared in Bloemfontein Magistrates Court two weeks ago in connection with the R255m asbestos audit case and was charged with fraud, corruption and money laundering.
He was granted a bail of 200,000 rand and will be joined by his co-defendants, including businessman Edwin Sodi, former Mangaung Mayor Olly Mlamleli and former head of the human settlements department Nthimotse Mokhetsi.
Political Bureau
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