Nzimande lays charges against Mdwaba over UIF bribery claims
Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande has laid criminal charges against businessman Mthunzi Mdwaba for not reporting the bribery claims to the police.
The minister opened the case at the Brooklyn Police Station in Pretoria on Tuesday.
Mdwaba accused Nzimande, and two other cabinet ministers of trying to solicit an R500 million bribe from him for the R5 billion UIF job projects deal.
Mdwaba alleged that his company had scored an R5 billion jobs project with the UIF.
However, the deal failed after he refused to pay a bribe.
He alleged ministers Enoch Godongwana, Thulas Nxesi and ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula demanded 10% of the R5 billion in the deal.
"He has committed a crime by not reporting a crime by not reporting about fraud or corruption so that he can explain in a court of law why he did not report when he was aware of the criminal activities."
Nzimande claims the allegations are part of a smear campaign against him, the SACP and the ANC.
"This has the potential to damage my image as a political person. We are going to elections. I don't want this to be hanging over my head. This is a smear campaign against me, the ANC as government and the SACP. He is doing it deliberately. He has never come to me… to ask for money. This is very strange."
ALSO READ:
