Former Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training Mduduzi Manana arrives at 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
Former deputy minister of education Mduduzi Manana must be wafting around on a cloud of self-righteousness after his resignation yesterday as an MP.
His piety knew no bounds as he proclaimed himself “cleared” after the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) declined to prosecute him for assault against his domestic worker.
He said he had not wanted to quit parliament before being “totally exonerated”, as this would have been an “admission of guilt”. It was reported that his domestic worker, Christine Wiro, withdrew a case of assault against him after he allegedly pushed her down the stairs at his home.
He was also caught on a recording offering her R100 000 as a “consolation” after she went to the police.
Wiro later explained she didn’t want to pursue the case since Manana was a powerful man.
The decision of the NPA notwithstanding, there is clearly a relationship power imbalance between Manana – a well-off and well-connected man – and his worker, a poor migrant woman. That means the refusal to prosecute him is anything but exoneration.
Manana’s pledge to give money to charity does little to change the fact he is a woman beater who should have quit public life long ago.
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