SAPS deliberately dragging their feet on Magashule’s Inquest Act charges

10 September 2019

It is more than a year since I personally laid criminal charges against Ace Magshule and I have still not received any communication from the SAPS on this matter.

On 17 July 2018, I laid criminal charges at the Parys SAPS against the former Premier of the Free State, Mr Ace Magashule, under Section 2 of the Inquest Act (No 58 of 1959) for his failure to report an alleged murder to the SAPS (see photograph here).

Magashule alleged that the former Head of Department, Mr Sandile Msibi, died as a result of poisoning. Failure to report a suspicious death to the police constitutes a criminal offence.

Magashule made the allegation public at the funeral of Mr Msibi, stating that prior to his death, there was an attempt to obtain the support of former President Jacob Zuma to send him abroad to Russia to receive treatment.

If Magashule has a suspicion that his former HOD for Police, Roads and Transport had been murdered he should have reported this to the SAPS.

It is alleged that Msibi himself was under investigation for financial malfeasance at the time of his alleged murder and that he was about to spill the beans.

The DA subsequently submitted a written question to former Premier Magashule in 2018, asking him whether an autopsy was conducted to identify the cause of death and whether he reported the matter of suspicion of murder to the SAPS for further investigation.

Magashule replied that these comments were made at a private event and, as such, are not subject to oversight by the Legislature. This reply was in itself suspicious since criminal activities are not private affairs.

In a recent reply to questions in the Free State Legislature, the current MEC for Police, Roads and Transport, Mr Sam Mashinini, confirmed that the inquiry is still under investigation and that statements still have to be obtained with no time frames for this in place.

He also indicated that an autopsy had been conducted prior to the burial, but that the results could not be made public.

The actions of the SAPS are compromising their political independence, and the MEC is obviously covering for his political boss in Luthuli House.

The DA will continue to submit questions through the Legislature and vigorously pursue this matter until the truth is uncovered.

Issued by Roy Jankielsohn, DA MPL and Leader of the Official Opposition in the Free State Provincial Legislature, 10 September 2019