Picture File: Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana during the ANC national executive committee media briefing. Photo: Gallo Images/Daily Sun/Lucky Morajane
Mpumalanga police have handed the investigation docket related to sexual assault allegations levelled against Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana over to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) .
Provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala, confirmed to The Citizen on Thursday the docket was given to the NPA in the province on Monday, for a decision on whether to charge the minister with sexual assault.
However, Mohlala refused to be drawn into divulging the details surrounding the case, only confirming that the docket related to a sexual assault case at Kruger National Park involving a “prominent person”.
He said the docket was handed to a senior public prosecutor.
“The docket pertains to a known prominent person over an alleged sexual assault incident at Skukuza in the Kruger National Park,” Mohlala said.
Godongwana has come under increasing pressure to step down after it emerged that a Kruger National Park masseuse laid a criminal complaint against him for allegedly “fondling” her while she was giving him a massage in his room.
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The alleged incident, which has been categorically denied by Godongwana, is said to have happened last week, when he and his wife were on a private trip to the park.
On Wednesday, the ANC’s integrity commission discussed the sexual harassment allegations during its meeting.
This came amid calls from the ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) for the governing party to use its internal processes to deal with this matter, while police investigated the case against Godongwana.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has called for President Cyril Ramaphosa to fire the minister from his Cabinet in the wake of sexual assault claims.
The party threatened to prevent Godongwana from addressing any public meetings while he faced these allegations.
Godongwana, on Saturday, released a statement denying the allegation against him. He said he had “always upheld and respected the rights and dignity of women, and this allegation goes against everything I stand for”.
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