Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane wants answers from Phadima Fukula after he accuses him of bribery.
Last week the police’s elite crimefighting unit, the Hawks, said they were hunting for Fukula, who faces charges of perjury and crimen injuria and is expected to appear before the East London magistrate’s court in August, after efforts to trace him had failed.
On April 9 2021, Fukula was interviewed in East London by Hawks detectives who wanted more evidence to substantiate his claims against Mabuyane.
During this interview, he allegedly asked for a short break and never returned.
In a statement to the Hawks in East London on February 17 2021, Fukula alleged Mabuyane had given him R10,000 in March 2016 to influence branches of the ANC against Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who was to contest against Cyril Ramaphosa at the party’s 54th national conference at Nasrec in December 2017.
In a second statement, Fukula, an ANC activist, claimed that in July 2017, Mabuyane had handed him “a bag full of cash” to take to Zondo.
In light of some conflicts in the statements, the Hawks then opened a case of perjury.
A month later, on May 3 2021, Mabuyane opened a case of crimen injuria against him. In February 2022, the Hawks arrested Fukula in Johannesburg in connection with allegations of lying under oath by implicating Zondo and Mabuyane in the bribery matter.
He was released by an East London magistrate without being formally charged after the court found that his case was not on the court roll.
Fukula — who is thought to be from Kwamasele in Qonce, though he is also alleged to be from Nompumelelo in Beacon Bay — then accused the Hawks of having been “captured”.
The media’s efforts to obtain comment from Fukula on Wednesday were unsuccessful.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Mabuyane said he viewed Fukula’s claims as part of an orchestrated campaign to damage his name.
Source: https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2023-07-13-reveal-your-handlers-mabuyane-demands/
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