The legal battle surrounding Moroadi Cholota has taken another turn, with the State accusing her of employing delaying tactics after her lawyer requested a postponement due to outstanding financial instructions. Cholota, 37, who once served as a personal assistant to former Free State Premier Ace Magashule, is facing multiple charges linked to the controversial R255 million Asbestos Project dating back to 2014.
Appearing briefly in the Bloemfontein High Court on Friday, Cholota was expected to proceed with the pre-trial conference. However, her legal representative informed the court that they were not prepared to move forward, citing financial constraints as the reason for the delay. The State, in response, argued that this was merely a strategy to stall proceedings, insisting that the prosecution was fully prepared to proceed with the trial. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane reiterated the State’s stance, emphasizing that it was ready to move ahead.
Cholota’s legal troubles have spanned multiple jurisdictions. She was arrested in the United States in April 2024 and later extradited to South Africa in August of the same year. Despite the State’s assertion that she posed a flight risk and had shown little regard for the law, she was granted bail of R2,500 by the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on August 15, 2024.
The political science student from Maryland University in the US has consistently challenged the case against her, arguing that the Free State Director of Prosecutions has no strong legal grounds. Additionally, she sought to have her extradition declared unlawful, but in January 2025, the high court dismissed her application to have the fraud and money laundering charges declared unconstitutional and invalid. In a 37-page judgment, the acting judge highlighted that Cholota had a case to answer, particularly regarding allegations that she solicited financial gratifications from businessmen linked to the Asbestos Project, especially after they had received payments from the Free State Department of Human Settlements.
The judge further noted that it would be up to the trial court to determine whether the charges against Cholota had reasonable grounds. However, Cholota has maintained that she is being coerced into confirming facts she knows nothing about to build a stronger case against her former boss, Ace Magashule.
The State has also argued that Cholota’s return to South Africa was not voluntary, pointing out that she resisted extradition both in the US and locally. Furthermore, the prosecution alleged that she received payments from individuals connected to Magashule, including service providers involved in the asbestos project, with transactions traced to her personal Capitec bank account.
In response to Cholota’s claims of threats and mental coercion during her questioning in the US, the NPA has firmly denied any such allegations. Senokoatsane confirmed that Cholota will stand trial from April 15 to June 23, 2025, alongside 18 others, including Magashule and businessman Edwin Sodi. Meanwhile, a new date for the pre-trial conference is expected to be communicated to all parties soon.
