‘Manana cash offer’ captured on tape
NPA decides to proceed with case
ANC MP Mduduzi Manana is not off the hook yet, as the National Prosecuting Authority has refused to withdraw the latest charges of assault against him.
This came amid the emergence of an audio in which Manana could be heard making a monetary offer to his former domestic worker Christine Wiro, allegedly in an effort to have the charges dropped.
Gauteng police spokesman Brigadier Mathapelo Peters said police were investigating the allegations. “In the instance where a complainant withdraws a case, it’s still the responsibility of the SAPS to submit the docket that was opened to the director of public prosecutions for a decision [on wether] to prosecute or not.
“In this case, the docket is back from the director of public prosecutions and police are now investigating further on instruction of the NPA.”
In the audio obtained by Sowetan yesterday, Manana could be heard saying: “I’m saying … just for any consolation, just to take care of uMama, for what she feels is humiliation. I can give a consolation to her, all the money she needs, all the money she was earning. I’m saying I can give consolation to take care of her health, her family … at least of a hundred?”
But on Monday, Manana accused Wiro, 43, his former domestic worker for just over two weeks, of attempting to extort R100 000 from him. He said his lawyers were preparing court papers to sue Wiro.
Wiro denied the extortion allegation and said Manana had repeatedly offered her family R100 000 and a job for her, and even promised to build her a house and financially take care of her son Adonia Langa, 23.
Wiro and Langa also told of how Manana arrived at their Pretoria home after 1am on Monday following his unsuccessful bid to have them drop charges of common assault, crimen injuria and intimidation against him.
Later on Monday evening, Manana issued a media statement denying all charges and threatened to sue Wiro.
Wiro yesterday said she had feared for her life when Manana pulled up outside her house in his Mercedes Benz SUV on Monday morning, accompanied by a man and two women.
“I had not given him my address but he managed to find out where I lived, that made me scared and I decided to withdraw the charges for my own safety,” she said. “Now that this guy knew where I am staying, I thought, ‘let me just go drop the charges’.”
Wiro said she and her family refused to accept his offer.
Langa said it was disappointing that Manana would misrepresent the facts while he was the only one that brought about the R100 000. “If we really wanted money, wouldn’t we have demanded the money first before withdrawing the charges?” he asked.
Wiro said the “only money” she wanted was her salary for the days she worked at Manana’s Fourways home. Neither Manana nor the NPA could be reached for comment last night.
He found out where I lived ... I became scared