JOHANNESBURG — A top official of South Africa's ruling party, the African National Congress, has been charged with 21 counts of fraud and corruption, a significant step in President Cyril Ramaphosa's drive against graft in the country.
ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule was charged and released on bail at court in Bloemfontein. He was cheered by hundreds of supporters who gathered outside the courthouse, showing that many within the ruling party do not support the anti-corruption campaign.
Magashule is the latest high-profile figure to face corruption charges as authorities intensify investigations into wide-ranging graft allegations in the country.
Magashule is accused of involvement in the looting of the equivalent of $13.8 million when he was the premier of the Free State province from 2009 to 2018.
It is alleged that he benefitted from a contract to audit how many houses in the province still had asbestos roofs, which was awarded to his close associates. The contract was awarded for $15 million, but it has since emerged that only $1.2 million was actually spent doing the work.
State prosecutors said that Magashule's former personal assistant when he was the premier of Free State, Moroadi Cholota, had turned state witness against Magashule. Cholota is currently living in the United States.
Magashule is now the eighth accused in the case, including ANC-linked businessmen and former high-profile government officials.
He told his supporters outside the court that he would not step down from his position as secretary-general despite facing serious charges.
