Masondo, who is married and a father of two, did not want his relatives involved, or for the woman to contact his wife.
Whatsapp messages between Deputy Finance Minister David Masondo and his unidentified former lover have seen Masondo stand accused of coercing the 30-year-old woman into getting an abortion and using his position as deputy to ensure she was pounced on by the Hawks.
According to a special report by the Amabhungane Investigative unit which has also been published by the City Press, who are in possession of communication between the pair, it seems as though Masondo offered the woman money to broker peace between them after an ugly turn of events in their relationship.
Masondo is already married to someone else with whom he shares two children.
“The messages dating from August also show the woman dismissing the offer of money several times,” reports the publication.
She seems to have accepted the money at some point as she was arrested outside her home in northern Johannesburg on Saturday, August 17.
This after she accepted a bag of cash containing R40 000 from men she thought to be Masondo’s representatives, instead, they were actually undercover officers.
She spent the weekend behind bars before being released without appearing before a magistrate and described that ordeal as “one of the most violent acts I have experienced.”
According to her lawyer Rudi Krause, the woman has denied Masondo’s allegations, labelling them false and tenuous and countered them by alleging that they were involved in a romantic relationship that became emotionally and physically abusive.
“The senior public prosecutor declined to prosecute and referred the matter back to the investigating officer for purposes of further investigation…” said Krause in an emailed statement sent to City Press.
Although the deputy minister’s lawyer Victor Nkhwashu has reportedly advised his client not to comment as the police investigation was ongoing, Nkhwashu has called the woman’s allegations “opportunistic, malicious and spurious.”
Nkhwashu has also labelled her allegations “a knee-jerk reaction also aimed at tarnishing and portraying our client as a violent person against women through the media in order to divert the public attention from the charges of extortion, intimidation and harassment against her”.
Charges laid after a sting operation by the Hawks who are mandated to target serious organised crime, serious commercial crime and serious corruption.
Hawks spokesperson Captain Ndivhuwo Mulamu told the publication that the sting was authorised by a director of public prosecutions “as per strict procedures” and that “we do not take sides, we simply investigate the facts”. Mulamu claimed he could not give any further details as doing so would compromise the investigation.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said the NPA gave instructions for further investigations, after which the investigating officer should return the docket to the NPA for a decision.
The money she has been accused of trying to extort Masondo of is reportedly part of the money he has already been paying for her to attend counselling sessions to remedy the severe depression she reportedly suffered because of the abortion she had earlier this year.
She has also accused the gynaecologist Masondo took her to of not informing her about the implications of the procedure which has since left her traumatized.
She has reported the gynae to the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) and laid a charge against the doctor at the police station.
President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed Masondo as deputy minister in May this year. He is also head of the ANC’s OR Tambo School of Leadership at Luthuli House.
In other news – Angry Locals want Senzo Meyiwa’s house destroyed – Picture
THE Meyiwas are still mourning Sam’s death. But it seems community members of Adam’s Mission, south of Durban, are not allowing this family time to mourn in peace. They’re adamant that the family should demolish that house Senzo Meyiwa was building in the area, before his death.
Last year, Sunday Sun reported about the concerned neighbours who were calling for the demolition of the late soccer star’s house, saying it had turned into a hideout for thugs and sex spot for the local youth. continue reading
Source: TheCitizen