Mduduzi Manana involved in yet another nightclub brawl
According to a report, he tried to stop his friend from being beaten to a pulp, but failed.
Former Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training Mduduzi Manana leaves the Randburg Magistrates Court in Johannesburg on 13 November 2017. The former Deputy Minister was sentenced to 12 months in prison or a R100k fine after pleading guilty to the assault of 3 women at a club called Cubana. Picture: Yeshiel Panchia
Tabloid newspaper Sunday World reports that the former deputy minister of higher education Mduduzi Manana once again found himself in a brawl at the same nightclub that saw his name become infamous.
Manana was convicted last year of 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.
Manana assaulted at least one of the women after she taunted him for allegedly being gay. A video of the assault surfaced on social media and sparked widespread condemnation. He resigned from Cabinet but the ANC retained him as an MP.
He was given a suspended sentence and a fine in November.
Now Sunday World has reported that he was attempting to intervene to stop a fight at Cubana last Sunday night after his friend Malusi Zondo became embroiled in an argument with a physically imposing bodyguard trainer, Sakhile “Biggie” Thusi.
Zondo is the leader of Progressive Youth in Business.
Manana was ultimately unsuccessful in stopping the fight, though.
According to Thusi, the fight started when Zondo asked one of his friends why he was socialising with “someone like him”.
He told the tabloid that Zondo later came and slapped him across the face and then tried to stab him with a broken glass. Thusi alleged that Zondo cut his finger after initially refusing to step outside for a fistfight.
When they did finally step outside to fight, Thusi claims he hit Zondo repeatedly in the face, knocking him down, until the ANC youth leader ran away. Zondo later opened a case of assault against Thusi for what the paper says was a brutal assault that almost saw Zondo beaten “to a pulp”.
Thusi then opened a case of counterassault.
Zondo, however, reportedly disputed Thusi’s version of events and said he had not provoked Thusi.
Thusi was released on bail and will appear in court this week to answer to the assault charge, the paper added.
It could not obtain comment from Manana.
For more news your way
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.