Mantashe’s department says he lied about paying journalists R70K to kill sex scandal
The minister does not deny having claimed to have paid journalists, but does deny having made the payments.
Gwede Mantashe. Picture: Moneyweb
Following a statement denying that Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe bribed a journalist to make a sex scandal go way, department of mineral resources and energy chief of staff Moferefere Lekorotsoana admitted in an interview on 702 that Mantashe did not deny telling Sunday World he paid journalists R70,000 to bury the story, but did deny actually having made the payment.
Lekorotsoana told 702: “The minister’s version is he did not pay the journalists to bury a story. So the reality right now is, he may have made those claims… he doesn’t deny having said that but the fact of him paying any journalist to hide a story he denies.
“There is no veracity, it hasn’t been proven that he actually has paid. No one has come forward and said ‘yes the minister has paid me’.”
Lekorotsoana said he could not explain why Mantashe made the claim when pressed.
READ MORE: Mantashe denies bribing journos R70K to make sex scandal go away
This follows a statement from the African National Congress (ANC) standing by the minister.
The party said it was “heartened” by the fact that Mantashe said he wasn’t involved in any illegal activity.
“Bribing journalists is not only criminal and unethical, it is also inconsistent with the values of the ANC,” said the statement.
The party said it supported the media and the Press Code.
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