Picture: (EFF Provincial Chief Whip, Bunga Ntshangane)
By BAKANG MOKOTO
An assault and crimen injuria case against Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) provincial Chief Whip and the Member of Provincial Legislature (MPL), Bunga Ntshangane was postponed until 2 October 2018.
Ntshangane appeared at the Mmabatho Magistrate’s Court in Mahikeng on Wednesday for allegedly assaulting the EFF junior employee, Maggie Klaas on the 9 November 2017 after a commotion ensued between them.
The incident took place at the party’s offices at the North West Provincial Legislature. Klaas was the first state witness to be cross-examined.
She pulverized no words and told the court about the incident. According to Klaas, she was humiliated by the accused in front of her colleagues.
“I felt humiliated after Ntshangane said he will cut-off my clitoris. He also grabbed me by my neck and assaulted me. I suffered injuries on my shoulder and knee after he pinned me to the ground,” she said.
She also released a statement lambasting the EFF leadership. Klaas said, while the country marks August as Women’s Month, EFF leader Julius Malema has come out guns blazing against Women Abuse in South Africa.
“Malema declared men who abuse women as trash. He also said that perpetrators would not be tolerated in the EFF, nothing could be further from the truth. The EFF must deal with its own trash. Now this is when the road meets the rubber, the party has never publicly expressed its position on the matter apart from the fact that the case is under internal investigation.
“No post-traumatic counselling has been offered to me and I continue to work in the same hostile environment. I was charged for misconduct for speaking-out publicly and the perpetrator has not been charged or placed under provisional suspension. I was also charged for not greeting my aggressor,” Klaas said.
She said the misconduct charge was subsequently withdrawn against. Klaas said she has received many threats from the EFF management too.
“I would like to see justice prevails and proper decisions being taken against Ntshangane. I am now frustrated and I do not feel safe anymore. Every single day I get calls from EFF Human Resources Management threatening me. They said if I do not withdraw an assault case against Ntshagane, they will keep on suspending me.
It is also alleged that Ntshangane offered Klaas R4000 to withdraw the case. The African National Congress Women’s League (ANCWL) in Bokone Bophirima said the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) must ‘walk the talk’ especially when it comes to Gender-based Violence (GBV) matters.
ANCWL provincial secretary, Bridgette Tlhomelang said: “We urge EFF to deal with its own trash and ensure that the matter is dealt with fairly. We also urge the judiciary to speed up the process.
“We will continue to show support to Klaas, despite our political differences. Gender-based Violence is real and we call on all women who are abused to speak-out,” Tlhomelang said.
EFF Provincial chairperson, Betty Diale said they could not hauled Ntshangane to the EFF Provincial Disciplinary Hearing (DC) as he is the provincial Chairperson of the DC. She said the matter has now being referred to the National Disciplinary Committee.
The Guardian 