First published in the Daily Maverick 168 weekly newspaper.
Ace Magashule has created an image of himself as a man of the people – Saint Ace of the Free State, a saviour of the poor. While he insists there was no corruption in the Free State during his eight-year tenure as premier, his legacy is littered with failed, incomplete or stagnant projects and developments.
Magashule’s State of the Province addresses and public comments are peppered with promises of better housing, not “a kasi township”, improved access to healthcare and better services. But a closer look at some of the celebrated multimillion-rand projects launched while he was at the helm has shown them to be monumental flops that have cost the province hundreds of millions of rands while failing to deliver on his promises.