Godongwana wins case against businessman Mthunzi Mdwaba over bribery allegations

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has won his defamation case against businessman Mthunzi Mndwaba, who had accused him of being involved in a R500 million bribery plan.

The Johannesburg High Court ruled in favour of the finance minister on Friday.

Godongwana took Mdwaba to court after the businessman accused him of soliciting a R500 million bribe in media interviews last year. Mdwaba is the CEO of Thuja Capital.

READ MORE: Thulas Nxesi denies allegations in R500-million UIF bribery scandal

Urgent application

In an urgent application, Godongwana sought to have Mndwaba’s statements declared defamatory and false.

Additionally, the finance minister wanted an interdict preventing Mndwaba from making similar statements in the future.

Godongwana argued that the statements infringed on his dignity, suggesting he is corrupt and untrustworthy. The minister also argued that the allegations affected public confidence in the office he holds.

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24 hour retraction

In addition to declaring Mdwaba’s remarks false and defamatory, the court ordered him to retract his statement within 24 hours of the judgment.

Furthermore, the court granted an interdict restricting Mdwaba from making the allegations in the future.

“The respondent is interdicted from doing any interview that says or implies that the applicant tried to solicit a bribe in the amount of R500 million,” the judgment stated.

The court also ruled that Mndwaba is liable to pay damages, without giving an amount.

READ MORE: ‘I’m the first person to point out that we have a Gupta problem’ − Mbalula on bribery claims

String of allegations

Godongwana isn’t the only government official Mdwaba has accused of bribery.

ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula, Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi and Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande were also accused by the businessman.

Nxesi will be in court next week wants to block the R5 billion deal between the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and Mdwaba’s Thuja Capital.

Nxesi also brought an urgent application in December, to prevent Mdwaba from making the accusations. Mbalula, in November, opened a case of crimen injuria against the businessman.

ALSO READ: Nxesi denies Mdwaba bribe allegations, threatens legal action