/ 30 October 2011

Too little, too late, says Mbalula

Too Little

Sports and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula failed to buy more time to comment on a City Press story implicating him in a sex scandal on Saturday, the department said.

“We were not trying to stop the story from being published … only to have more time to send our comments to City Press, and we were too late,” said spokesperson Paena Galane on Saturday.

City Press editor Ferial Haffajee said Mbalula had not answered questions sent to him by the paper on Thursday afternoon.

Galane said the minister received the questions on Thursday night and was “in consultation” on Friday.

He said when Mbalula approached the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Saturday, the application could be heard only at 6pm.

“And that was too late because City Press says it goes to print at 6pm tonight [Saturday].”

When asked if the minister would still submit his response after the story was published, Galane said he would not, because it would be too late.

Headline posters on Saturday read “Minister in sex scandal”.

Haffajee confirmed that the story concerned Mbalula. — Sapa