Court papers vindicates Ace Magashule over doctor’s murder

Politics / 02 November 2019,06:18am/ Molefi Sompane

Johannesburg – ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule has distanced himself from allegations linking him to a murder of Free State doctor who was allegedly killed after reneging from paying a kickback to certain party members.

Magashule has also threatened to lodge complains with with the Inspector General of the Intelligence and both Police Minister and Commissioner over what he calls usage of state organ to fight political battles.

According to the story, one can read that the city press already found or knew Magashule to be involved.

It is alleged that the paper Asked him to explain his involvement in Dr Louis Siemens’s murder.

It is not the first time, the paper did same thing with another ANC leader.

Sometime ago they accused ANC Deputy President of a Hitlist. An allegations that that nearly tainted Mabuza’s top position aspiration.

In the past the ruling ANC had urged it’s members not to buy the paper following reports that were “biased” but the decision was withdrawn following talks with the editor in chief Farial Hafajee.

However The Insider can report that the former Free State Premier’s name was not listed among other eight accused in Siemens’ murder.

The Medical Doctor and Businessman Siemens murder happened in Bloemfontein’s Preller Plein shopping complex on May 10.

According to Magashule it was evident that there was a smear campaign by the paper to tarnish his image as it was creating many fake news just to assassinate his character.

Magashule is adamant that the Sunday paper was running a propaganda by those against Radical Economic Transformation.

“The City Press is used by certain pockets and factions of our society to take a stand against radical economic transformation.

“As i said before that this campaign against me will not prosper. We will deliver RET to the majority of our people. Whether they like it or not,” he said.

When he was killed Siemens was a director of a private City Med Hospital.

It is allegedly reported that he had approached the Free State Department of Health asking for the hospital’s operating license to be altered in order to increase the number of beds.

He was approached by accused number one, whose name appeared on the papers, looking for a bribe in exchange for the new license.

“At first, accused 1 demanded an amount of R650 000. The deceased paid this amount in cash to accused 1, shortly after their first meeting.

“Thereafter accused 1 frequently demanded more monies to be paid over by the deceased,” read the papers.

Siemens ended up paying a total of R6.5 million and according to papers, some of the money was shared with “various role players” that the Sunday paper had tried to associate with Magashule.

The court papers said “it was not clear why exactly was Siemens killed” however it was assumed that “the relationship soured and that the deceased became reluctant to make further payments”.

“Whether the deceased threatened to spill the beans is pure speculation, but what is clear is that accused 1 and 6 considered the deceased to be a threat and they have decided to eliminate the deceased,”  the papers read.

Magashule questioned his involvement as fallacy because he had never been MEC of Health.

“Where do I feature here? It’s time South Africa sees politics for what it is.

“Some people are trying to attach this to me for fear of what will happen in the days to come. It’s preposterous to think that a media organisation can run a political campaign. Nothing will stop me from the goal of RET,” said Magashule.