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KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Health Nomagugu Simelane has been served with a letter demanding that she retract comments she made alleging that traditional Zulu prime minister Thulasizwe Buthelezi solicits sexual favours from married women.
A lawyer representing Buthelezi, who is also the mayor of the IFP-led Zululand District Municipality, has sent Simelane a letter demanding a retraction of the comments which she made during a recent rally in Vryheid, within seven days. Failure to comply will result in a R10 million defamation lawsuit against the MEC, the letter states.
The letter, which City Press has seen, is signed by Sarah Myhill, director at Stowell and Co Attorneys, reads in part:
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Buthelezi vehemently denies these allegations citing them as defamatory. “We are further instructed to place on record that our client denies any accusations of unlawful and wrongful misconduct."
A video of the rally, which has gained significant traction online, shows Simelane accusing Buthelezi of soliciting sexual favours from married women.
Simelane referred to an event on 15 March during the 110th anniversary celebration of King Dinuzulu in Nongoma, where Buthelezi was still speaking to the crowd when ANC chairperson Siboniso Duma grabbed the microphone from him.
Izinduna condemned the act and asked Duma to apologise.
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Simelane said: "Izinduna must not look on one side at what Duma did, but they must look at what happened in the beginning before Duma acted that way. They should have said that the person who should have respected the chairperson is Thulasizwe because he is the one that ruined the ceremony. Therefore if Duma must pay, Thulasizwe must also pay."
Simelane is not alone in her accusations. On the same day she made the allegations, the ANC in the Mzala Nxumalo region also issued a statement alleging ongoing sexual misconduct by Buthelezi.
They claimed to have received a number of calls from concerned community members regarding such incidents.
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“As the ANC in the region, we are aware that over the past two years, municipal workers have consistently lifted the lid on alleged multiple cases of sexual abuse involving the mayor. In the past, we saluted women who mastered the courage to come forward to detail such a shocking sex scandal involving someone [Buthelezi] who styles himself as a reverend,” read the statement.
It added that more than six women had been dismissed for allegedly rejecting Buthelezi’s sexual advances and that the latest voice notes that are a subject of discussions could not be ignored any longer.
The statement read:
The ANC also called on Chapter 9 institutions such as the Public Protector's office, the SA Human Rights Commission and the Gender Commission to launch thorough and full-scale investigations into the allegations.
Last year, Buthelezi said the sexual harassment allegations levelled against him were a smear campaign that started in 2017 when he took over as the mayor.
