Court to make game-changing ruling on Moroadi Cholota case

The Free State High Court in Bloemfontein is set to make a game-changing ruling on former Free State Premier Ace Magashule’s ex-PA, Moroadi Cholota, on Wednesday morning.

The court will deliver its highly anticipated judgment on the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA)’s bid to prosecute Cholota in the long-running asbestos fraud and corruption case.

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She initially escaped prosecution in 2025 when the High Court ruled in favour of her special plea to challenge her extradition from the US, claiming it was unlawful and driven by malice because she refused to testify against her former boss, Magashule.

The State in the matter appealed the judgment all the way to the Constitutional Court, where it was handed a lifeline in a unanimous judgment.

The apex court agreed that the NPA-led extradition of Cholota from the United States (US) was unlawful, ruling that the prosecuting authority does not have the power to request the extradition of suspects from foreign countries.

But the highest court in the land set aside the decision by the lower court not to prosecute Cholota, which put her back in line to stand trial with Magashule, controversial businessman Edwin Sodi and other former Free State officials.

In January, Cholota’s lawyers continued to argue the other grounds of her special plea to avoid corruption charges.

On Wednesday morning, the court will decide if Cholota will be in the dock with the all the other suspects when the main asbestos trail resumes in March.