ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula has called on the state security to probe if there’s been discussions between businessman Mthunzi Mdwaba and any cabinet ministers.
Mbalula took particular exception to Mdwaba’s claim that he was privy to cabinet discussions relating to a botched deal between his company and the department of employment.
Mdwaba accused Mbalula, Enoch Godongwana, Blade Nzimande and Thulas Nxesi, the ministers of finance, higher education as well as employment respectively, of soliciting a half a billion rand bribe for him in turn for making the deal possible.
Mbalula on Thursday laid charges of crimen injuria and of defamation against the businessman who has made the claims in media interviews.
Mbalula said cabinet discussions were regarded as state secrets and if indeed anyone was leaking information to Mdwaba they must be held accountable.
“He’s even making allegations about cabinet discussions. Cabinet Discussions are a secret that even if you ask the media to access documents of cabinet you have to go to court or somehow. They are inaccessible and protected by the law. Here comes a guy who is a businessman alleging that he’s privy to cabinet decisions as it relates to himself and then he alleges that minister ABCD had done something. Where is state security as the custodian and the defender of the secrets of the state to ask Mdwaba who gave you this so that those individuals could be guillotined from our cabinet because they’re undermining the law if any of those things happened.”
Mbalula was himself engulfed in a leak scandal in 2020 when choreographer and socialite Somizi Mhlongo told friends during a live Instagram call that the then transport minister had just informed him that President Cyril Ramaphosa was to extend covid19 lockdown restrictions. Mbalula denied leaking the information despite that the President went on to make the announcement as alleged by Mhlongo. Criminal charges were laid against Mbalula who believes Mhlongo soiled his image and credibility.
“The case against Somizi Mhlongo is in court, I appeared in court. I appeared once, Somizi appeared too, you were not there and we will appear again. I had to stand up because as much as Somizi said that in jest and all of that but it impacted on my image that I could have leaked state secrets,” said Mbalula on the doorstep of the Sandton Police station moments after laying charges against Mdwaba.