Johannesburg – Former minister of state security Bongani Bongo says the corruption case against ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule was part of a grand plan by the state to persecute the former Free State premier for his political views.
In a major victory f or Magashule and his supporters, the Western Cape High Court this week dismissed the corruption case against the ANC MP. Bongo was accused of trying to bribe the evidence leader of an Eskom parliamentary inquiry Nthuthuzelo Vanara in 2017.
But the court found Vanara, the state’s star witness, was not credible in some respect and granted Bongo’s section 174 application to have the case dismissed.
The court victory came amid a protracted battle within the ANC over the implementation of a 2017 resolution on the circumstances under which ANC members can be asked to step aside.
A recent meeting of the party’s national executive committee, in which new guidelines were presented and adopted with some conditions, descended into factional fights after Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Ronald Lamola led the charge for Magashule and Bongo to step aside.
In an interview with Sunday World, Bongo said a conference resolution was being used for factional purposes in the party.
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“I said that then and stand by my every word even to date as it’s clear that some of the people like secretary-general Magashule were indeed arrested like myself. One day at an appropriate time people behind this unfortunate plan [abusing power] will be exposed. Rest assured, at the right time I will unpack why we are being accused without some legal basis.
“Hopefully one day I will live to tell my story, not only myself, but others in my same situation.” Magashule has maintained that he would not step aside from his powerful position unless told by branches of the ANC, saying he was innocent until proven guilty.
Bongo said he felt vindicated after almost four years of being falsely accused.
“I probably think the presumption of being innocent until proven guilty by a competent court of law was inserted in our constitution anticipating the day like today. I feel vindicated after almost four years of being accused falsely. It’s a well-calculated plan just to tarnish my image because of my views politically. It was meant to destroy me politically as everything was just done after being appointed as a minister,” he said.
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The ruling was likely to weaken the standing of the ANC integrity commission and increase calls for it to be dissolved after it recommended in 2019 that Bongo step aside to clear his name.
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