The 9 most explosive quotes from the allegations against Pule Mabe

ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe has made headlines after his former personal assistant, in a letter of grievance sent to ANC deputy secretary general Jessie Duarte, accused Mabe of sexual harassment.

Mabe became the party’s national spokesperson in February this year, following the departure of Zizi Kodwa, and the young lady in question was reportedly hired sans qualification in June.

Her duties commenced in August.

In her 14-page letter, seen by The Citizen, Mabe’s former PA detailed various instances in which she alleged Mabe behaved inappropriately in the work environment and on work trips.

She also painted a picture of Mabe as a tyrannical and controlling employer.

She ended off the letter by stating: ” I am bringing the matter to the attention of ANC officials and consistent to our traditions and practices, when a member puts the organisation into disrepute, such a member must be subjected to some form of disciplinary actions.”

Mabe has since gone on leave pending the outcome of an inquiry into the claims.

Read the 9 most explosive quotes and accounts from her letter:

1. “Comrade DSG if you’ve been inside the St George’s rooms, you’ll have an idea of the type of arrangement inside (two double beds in each room); I sat on one and comrade Pule was lying on the other one while busy on his iPad, the Gauteng leader was sitting on a chair and leaning on the bed comrade Pule was lying on. When the Gauteng leader left, Pule then invited me to sit next to him on the bed he was lying on. I had an exam pad with me that the leader was writing on and Pule was transferring what was on the pad to his iPad as we were speaking, now when this other one left, he decides to invite me to the bed he was lying on. I firstly refused and said I will read out what was on the exam pad; he then said he needed to see while at the same time I call out what was written there. I then did as he said, I was so uncomfortable such that I lasted for like 2 minutes and went back to the bed I was on at first. He invited me again and insisted on his story of wanting to see what was written on the paper. I couldn’t wait until he was finished so that I would go back to the bed I was on and immediately when he was done I jumped off the bed to the one I was on earlier alone, I began making remarks about being tired and so forth, I can’t recall the time properly but it was too, too late, after a long while he then gave in and left the room. Finally, I was to get my chance to rest, even though it was to be for a few hours.”

2. “Until such a time I think sleep defeated me and was out; until such a time I felt so hot and woke up, to my surprise, the lights were all completely off, blankets on me and comrade Pule’s legs on top of my body. I immediately snapped and asked why he was in my blankets, his response what that he is taking a break from completing his assignment, to which didn’t make sense at all and my heart began beating so fast because a lot of things occupied my mind; first was ‘how could someone I regarded as a brother, leader, and comrade do this? Wanting to get into bed with me?’ ‘Isn’t this man supposed to be my boss?'”

3. “I argued that I do not like sharing a bed, worse with a man and in my house I still don’t share a bed (this was obviously a lie; but I had to make up this considering what I’ve already mentioned earlier), he asked me how do I then cope when I sleep with my boyfriend, and my response was ‘I never share a bed with him’ (this was obviously another lie). Upon realising that my story flaring, I jumped out of the bed and went to the other one, this was around 3am – 3.30am; well the clock wasn’t moving. I kept myself busy on the phone until almost 5am, that’s when he decided to get ready for the Lekgotla, he finally left my room.”

4. “And how I viewed him was never going to be the same, I lost so much of respect for him and I felt so much [discomfort] around him. I just couldn’t wait to leave the place.”

5. “Comrade Pule was in the office that day, and I tried by all means to ignore him. I needed the job, I needed the salary, equally so I was never going to sell my body in exchange of the job.”

6. “…we got there and after a very long day and with my hard and fast pumping heart, the only [thing] I needed was to get to my room, lock the door, bath and sleep. Okay, we had supper in the kitchen and after a conversation regarding work, I decided to go to the room (261). I bathed and got into my pyjamas, I had resolved that I will not go to the other side, but will rather get into bed. I got on the phone with comrade Thulani, until comrade Pule decided to walk into my room while I was lying there and, on the phone, (it was on loudspeaker), he lied on the bed (I’m in my pyjamas and uncomfortable more), he moved closer to me and put his arm onto my shoulder. I knew there that I had to gather courage to tell him to move, which I did by indicating that I was on the phone with a caller saved as ‘Sgegede with a heart’ (to which he saw); he left the room, and I got into my blankets, with the lights on and tv, slept. Until I heard movements in the room, to realize that it was him, I opened my eyes and covered my head, I saw him plug his power bank to the charger and he stood there for a while as if he was trying to think of his next move; my heart couldn’t stop beating so hard, as I was thinking of what could possibly happen and how [I] was going to escape the situation. St George’s sprung to mind. I literally didn’t sleep that night, I kept on tossing and turning, watched tv and got to my phone, until the sun came out.”

7. “…comrade Pule was supposed to have formally informed me and explained my role in those meetings, to which he didn’t. The past week he wasn’t in the office, technically speaking. I decided to ask him via SMS if I was supposed to attend those meetings. The SMS stated ‘Do I have to form part of the 07:50 meetings? I’m still unclear’ this was at 18:43. I remember I was having dinner with my family, it was after 22:00 when a call from comrade Pule came in. This man shouted at me, this man was screaming [in] my ears; I want to find words of describing how this man was screaming such that I could see my toe fingers literally shake, my whole body was shaking, I couldn’t even speak. As to why my question sparked such a response, it defeats me; I know I wasn’t wrong to ask that question. He further threatened to get rid of me, he told me he is giving me a warning or else I’ll be gone; the conversation was so long, and again he used that demeaning name ‘suster’ as he kept on referring to me, I remember the only way I could put myself to sleep was through crying. In the conversation he speaks about how I’m a party animal, how busy I am with boys; I felt so naked and disrespected.”

8. “Comrade Jessie, if there’s one thing bothering me now, is how comrade Pule goes around calling comrades that I’m close to, pulling the victim card, and making me appear to be incompetent; he speaks so dirty of me that he suspects that I sleep around with leadership.”

9. “My salary has been excessively cut without following due processes, and to a larger extent, I was told that DSG had a problem with me and that my appointment does not sit well with her. In the end, I was blackmailed that: at least I will be getting something, there are some people who are out there and aren’t getting anything. From what I was getting, my salary was cut to R15,000 before deduction. My bank statement can be brought in should you want evidence, as I do not have any letter from HR explaining why my salary has been cut.”

Read the full letter below:

Letter of Grievance against Pule Mabe by Charles Cilliers on Scribd

READ NEXT: ANC grievance panel to hear Mabe’s alleged sexual harassment case

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