Lerato Mbhiza
SA’s Finance Minister, Employment and Labour and ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula are seeking legal against against Tuja Capital CEO, Mthunzi Mdwaba following his startling allegations that four politicians, were involved in attempts to solicit bribes after his company was awarded a R5-billion investment by the UIF.
Mdwaba said on TV that Ministers Enoch Godongwana, Thulas Nxesi and ANC SG Mbalula were among the four politicians whom he alleged had sent intermediaries to solicit a bribe and when he didn’t budge, the money was frozen and the deal meant to create more than 500 000 jobs was scuppered.
Godongwana, has given Mdwaba seven days to retract and issue a public apology. While Nxesi has dismissed Mdwaba’s claims as “false” and a diversion strategy, saying he was considering taking legal action.
“The attacks on myself by Mdwaba began two years ago when we were obliged to withdraw our support for his candidacy for a position in the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
“Mdwaba blamed me for this, even though it was a government decision, emanating from the emergence of information on his past,” said Nxesi.
“Our paths crossed again late last year when the media exposed a plan to pay over R5 billion of UIF funds to Mdwaba’s private company, Thuja. I acted immediately to stop any payment even in the face of Mdwaba’s threats of legal action, thus safeguarding public funds.
Mbalula said he has opened a case of crimen injuria against businessman after allegations that he sent intermediaries to demand a part of Mdwaba R5-billion seed funding from the UIF.
“The Secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has opened a criminal injuria case against Mthunzi Mdwaba at the Sandton police station,” read the statement in an ANC letterhead.
“I have opened a case of crimen injuria against Mr Mdwaba today because I want to make it clear. Let us encourage those with evidence of corruption to come forward, and when they do so, we must protect them.
“But equally let us not tolerate the juniorisation of the crime that is corruption to a point where it can be used as slander which has no physical consequences but erodes the dignity of another. I have never supported corrupt activities.
“In fact, I am the first person to stand up in an NEC meeting and point out that we have a Gupta problem. My name will not be associated with corruption and renewal demands of us to take these allegations seriously to a point where we must not tolerate attempts to make light of corruption” he said.
“As a law-abiding citizen of our country, having unconditional trust in our justice system and our law enforcement agencies, accompanied by my lawyers came to the Sandton Police Station, to lay a charge of Crimen Injuria, defeating the ends of justice as well as contravention of section 34 (4) of PRECCA”.
Mbalula added that he instructed his lawyers to send a letter of demand to Mdwaba to retract the statement, “failure to retract all his malicious and defamatory statements, my legal team will approach our courts to compel him and seek appropriate relief”.
Before Mdwaba went public with his story, there was a Sunday newspaper report that accused him of conflict of interest in the deal, claiming that this is the reason why Nxesi had the funds frozen.
Mdwaba said three ministers including Mbalula had sent people to him requesting a R500-million cut from the now frozen jobs creation deal with UIF.
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