ANC accuses DA ‘white caucus’ of bugging Mokgalapa’s office
While the ANC has been accused of involvement, its Tshwane leader says only the official opposition are in the bugging 'business'.
At a press conference on Monday morning, the ANC’s Tshwane regional chairperson, Dr Kgosi Maepa, denied that the ANC was behind the bugging of the office in which the City’s mayor Stevens Mokgalapa allegedly had sex with roads and transport MMC Sheila Senkubuge.
The mayor denies that he had any sexual relations with the woman in question.
According to Maepa, the ANC’s “sources” have indicated it was in fact the “white caucus” within the Democratic Alliance who had leaked the audio, pointing to party political infighting in the fractured governance of the city.
On Sunday, audio of the pair allegedly having sex while the mayor bad-mouthed several people – his colleagues, opponents and fellow DA members – went viral.
The City has since alleged the leaking of the tape was an extortion attempt against Mokgalapa, which they consider criminal, in a statement that did not outright deny that the audio clip was of the mayor and the MMC having sex, though he has denied it in another interview.
LISTEN: Tshwane mayor Mokgalapa allegedly disses colleagues while ‘having sex’ with MMC
Maepa said he and his party had no involvement with the recording.
“The people who bumped each other, maybe they are fighting over who is sleeping with who; so how do we enter the building?” he said.
“Maybe this was done to show the boyfriend of the girlfriend of the mayor – because we agree he’s abusing power, maybe he has more – or maybe they wanted to prove … we just don’t know.
“And this thing can’t come from us.
“We are not in the business of technology or technical services to bug office. We are in the business of helping people and solving their problems.
“The DA for their part – they are in that business.
READ MORE: City of Tshwane says ‘sex tape’ of mayor was blackmail attempt
“Our sources say this came from the white caucus fighting with the black caucus and the girlfriend and the boyfriend; that’s where the audio came from, it came from the DA.”
Maepa alleged that the mayor had not denied having sex with the MMC, though he appeared not to be aware of the Daily Sun interview in which he does deny it.
Tshwane mayor Steven Mokgalapa and his roads and transport MMC Sheila Senkubuge have denied they are involved in a romantic relationship. pic.twitter.com/dNcCcRv8Pm
— Daily Sun (@dailysunsa) November 24, 2019
“Mokgapala, the mayor, if you listen to SABC, he was speaking to them yesterday, he does not say it’s not me,” he said.
DA Gauteng leader John Moodey said he and the DA did not know “where or by who” relating to the audio leak.
DA Gauteng communications manager Charity McCord, meanwhile, indicated that the DA’s Federal Legal Commission was investigating the matter.
(Compiled by Daniel Friedman)
For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.
