Gauteng MEC lays criminal charges against EFF's Mandisa Mashego
10 June 2019
Gauteng Human Settlements MEC Lebogang Maile has laid criminal charges against Gauteng EFF leader, Mandisa Mashego, at the Alexandra police station.
He has also threatened civil action against the EFF.
Accompanied by his lawyer, Mashudu Tshivhase, Maile opened a crimen injuria case against Mashego on Monday morning over her remarks that he was a thug and a liar, and that he had benefitted from the embattled Alexandra Urban Renewal Project.
Maile claimed his image was tarnished after Mashego addressed Alexandra residents during her recent visit there.
"She was so confident and said that [with] conviction and a few days later [it] was exposed that she lied. She went there with the mayor (Herman Mashaba) and the mayor has apologised. I want her arrested and charged," he said.
Maile is waiting for a case number and the name of the investigating officer.
The MEC said his brother, Mike Maile, and ANC treasurer general Paul Mashatile also intended to lay charges against Mashego.
Speaking about his civil action threat, the MEC said he would write to the EFF to alert the party of his intention.
"The money I will get from them, I am going to donate it to the people of Alexandra.
"We are going to have two processes - a criminal case and a civil lawsuit… She (Mashego) was speaking on behalf of the EFF. I want them to pay and I will donate the money [from the lawsuit] to the people of Alexandra. I don't need that money. All I need is for people to see the EFF for who they are.
"We are confident we are going to win this one because there is no basis for them to wake up and insult us. They tell lies without basis and facts. I am reliably informed that the treasurer general of the ANC and my brother will open cases. We are going to take them head on."
Maile said he never worked for the Alexandra Urban Renewal Project.
He promised to give the media an account of what happened with the project because the public deserved answers.
"I can't say to you if they (Mashatile and his brother) have benefitted unduly or not. Mashatile was an MEC at the time and my brother was the project manager. These accusations are ridiculous and are upsetting. There is no basis for anyone to call me a thug for stealing. What I know is that I am reporting to the integrity commission of the ANC and the integrity commissioner in the legislature."
Before he was appointed human settlements MEC, Maile said his brother had been doing business with a company called Urban Dynamics that was conducting business with the department.
"We then agreed that he can't do any business where I am because it is unethical," he added.
Maile vowed that no member of his family would have any business dealings with any department he headed.
He said he was sent to his new portfolio to clean the mess there and not to focus on the Alexandra Renewal Project.
Mashego and the EFF could not be reached for comment.
