Gangster State: Four shocking claims about Ace Magashule

South Africa is reeling on Monday after more shocking revelations about a high-ranking ANC politician emerged at the weekend. ANC secretary general and former premier of the Free State, Ace Magashule, has been implicated in a book that makes several damning allegations against him. 

Gangster State: Unravelling the Ace Magashule's Web of Capture written by investigative journalist Pieter-Louis Myburgh looks into various corruption allegations against the ANC NEC member. 

The ANC has dismissed the claims as "fake news" and timed to embarrass the party in election season.

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Highlights from the book include:

Some of the major allegations include dodgy tender dealings and his relation with the Gupta family. 

Gupta links

Magashule allegedly took then Bloemfontein mayor Thabo Manyoni to meet the Gupta family at their Saxonwold home in 2013. 

The book claims that Magashule and Atul Gupta discussed the prospects of Magashule becoming the minister of communications and Manyoni replacing him as Free State premier.

Manyoni was allegedly driven from Bloemfontein to Johannesburg and was not aware who they were going to meet. 

R230m 'asbestos audit' 

Magashule allegedly benefited from an "asbestos audit" that was awarded by the department of human settlement in the Free State. 

The purpose of the audit was to "asses" 300 000 houses to find out if they had harmful asbestos roofs .Magashule was allegedly involved in the diversion of funds from the tender.

Businessman Ignatius Mpambani,who was gunned down in Sandton in 2017, was also allegedly linked to the deal. 

Mr Ten Percent 

The book alleges that Magashule was referred to as "Mr Ten Percent" in Free State political circles. This is because he would allegedly demand a 10% cut from all government contracts, News24 reported. 

Magashule would allegedly keep an eye out for all major payments made by Free State departments and would then take his cut from the money once it was paid. 

Struggle credentials 

The book alleges that Magashule may have overstated his experience in the struggle against apartheid. 

Magashule allegedly claimed that he was part of a group that trained the likes of Stompie Seipi at the home of Winnie Madikizela Mandela. 

Two sources in the book said Magashule never underwent military training.