The decision by the Free State High Court to withdraw charges against Moroadi Cholota, the former assistant to former ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule, reveals the level of crisis within the NPA. But the NPA is just one example of a government institution in which officials either resist change or simply refuse to work, often aided by politicians.
There will, no doubt, be several legal examinations of Tuesday’s decision, in which Judge Phillip Loubser said his court had no authority to try former Free State premier Ace Magashule’s former assistant, Moroadi Cholota, because the NPA had instituted her extradition from the US, while legally it should have been the Justice Ministry.
While the legal correctness of this decision might be examined by higher courts, the public perception is likely to be dominated by a question of why legal technicalities matter so much.
Moroadi Cholota (37), former assistant to Ace Magashule appears at Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court for bail application on August 13, 2024 in Bloemfontein, South Africa. (Photo: Gallo Images / Volksblad/Mlungisi Louw)
Of course, to lawyers, judges and the rule of law, they absolutely matter. But to many people, they are simply a way for people to avoid justice.
