Mduduzi Manana leaves the Randburg Magistrates Court in Johannesburg on 8 October 2017. Manana appeared at the court for a sentencing hearing in his alleged assault of two women in a nightclub earlier in the year. Picture: Yeshiel Panchia
A voice recording of ANC MP Mduduzi Manana allegedly offering to pay R100 000 to his former domestic worker, Christine Wiro, to drop assault charges she had laid against him has emerged.
Former deputy minister of higher education and current ANC MP briefly faced allegations of woman abuse after Wiro on Sunday laid charges of assault, crimen injuria and intimidation against him at the Douglasdale police station.
However, on Monday, Wiro then withdrew the case against Manana, asking the police to “no longer investigate the matter”. On the same day, it was reported that Manana had allegedly offered Wiro R100 000 and another job if she withdrew the charges against him.
The ANC MP then released a statement saying he had “instructed my lawyers to file a legal suit against the Wiro family for extortion as they demanded an amount of R100 000.”
READ MORE: Manana breaks silence on domestic worker ‘attack’
In the recording exposed by TimesLives, Manana is heard saying: “Just for any consolation, just to take care of mama for what she feels is humiliation, I can give a consolation to her, not the money she needs or the money she was earning, I’m saying a consolation for her to take care of her health, her family, at least of R100[000].”
Listen to the recording below:
TimesLive reports that Manana was contacted for comment on the audio recording, and Manana did not deny that he is the one talking on the recording, insisting that at that moment the Wiro family was extorting him for the R100 000.
During President Cyril Ramaphosa’s question and answer session in parliament yesterday, the president was asked whether Manana was still suitable to be an MP following the fresh allegations of women abuse levelled against him.
READ MORE: Manana should face party processes over abuse allegations – Cyril
Manana was convicted last year on three counts of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm after pleading guilty to the charges in September. The charges related to the assault of three women at Cubana in Fourways on August 6.
During his maiden question and answer session in March, Deputy President David Mabuza defended Manana for still holding his parliamentary seat despite being convicted on three counts of assault last year.
Mabuza said the ANC believed that people could change.
“With regard to Manana, I think Manana has been convicted, went to court, and we believe that people can be corrected,” said the deputy president.
“We don’t have a dustbin where we throw people. We correct people. We move with them – that’s what we believe.”
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