Has the NPA messed up again? Karyn Maughan on why Ace Magashule’s PA walked free

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She’s a free woman. Moroadi Cholota, the former assistant to then-Free State Premier Ace Magashule, has won her special plea against the National Prosecuting Authority. The Free State High Court in Bloemfontein declared her extradition from the United States “unlawful” following a Supreme Court of Appeal ruling that only the justice minister may request extradition. The ruling leaves the NPA with a bloody nose, and many legal experts have warned that this trial-within-a-trial may have far-reaching consequences. To decipher what this all means, legal journalist Karyn Maughan joins us in this edition of The Lead. Later in the show, Graeme Raubenheimer discusses the AARTO Act’s consequences for errant motorists and snow forecasts nationwide. You can now send a short voice note of 15 to 20 seconds with your questions or thoughts on this episode to our official The Lead WhatsApp line, that’s: +27 72 562 3179. Mail your comments to thelead@24.com. Editions drop Monday through Thursday at 19:00 on Spotify, Apple and YouTube.  
Chapters
  • 00:01 Graeme's intro
  • 02:04 Interview with Karyn Maughan
  • 28:52 Trending topic: AARTO 1 October start
  • 30:14 AD: Free audiobook of the month
  • 31:09 And finally: SNOW!
  • 32:13 AD: The Weekender
  • 32:41 Graeme's outro
5 Jun 2025 English South Africa News · Society & Culture

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