Mmabatho Mokoena, has been found guilty of extorting 60% of the salaries of at least three of the party’s parliamentary employees and according to a source, she claimed it was for party leader Jacob Zuma.
(Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)
Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) party chief whip of the national council of provinces, Mmabatho Mokoena, has been found guilty of extorting 60% of the salaries of at least three of the party’s parliamentary employees.
Mokoena would demand the money from the employees and threaten to fire them if they did not pay it into her bank account or give her cash.
Payments were made in August, September and October 2024.
Mokoena has, however, denied the claims.
The party’s national disciplinary committee prepared a report and sent it to Floyd Shivambu, who was then secretary general, and the chair of the disciplinary committee.
Despite the panel that was set up for Mokoena’s disciplinary hearing finding her guilty and recommending that she should be fired, the party has not done so.
According to an internal document in the Mail & Guardian’s possession, a female employee paid Mokoena R16 500 on 15 August 2024.
She paid R20 000 on 14 September and R25 000 on 30 September 2024. She later paid a further R2 000 into Mokoena’s account.
In August 2024, Mokoena threatened a male employee, whose name M&G is also withholding, that if he did not pay 60% of his salary, he would be fired from his job.
He later paid Mokoena R30 000 in cash.
In another incident involving a female staff member, Mokena demanded 60%.
According to the report, Mokoena did not dispute the allegations or the evidence against her but claimed she was unaware that she needed a lawyer to present her case.
The first hearing was scheduled for 26 and 27 November 2024, in Cape Town, but Mokoena said she could not attend because she was getting married.
The hearing was postponed to 14 to 16 January 2025, in Durban, but on the last day of the hearing, Mokoena presented a medical certificate, which the panel did not accept.
An MK party source told M&G that Mokena had been extorting money from staff since coming into office.
“She would employ people who are supposed to get high salaries. She was claiming that Ubaba [party leader Jacob Zuma] wants it, but she was just stealing in his name.”
The source said they were expecting Mokoena’s membership to be terminated, but her case disappeared into thin air.
“We are all shocked that she is still in parliament and living large.”
Speaking to M&G, Mokoena dismissed the allegations as rumours and lies.
“There was actually a hearing, but everything was cleared. I wanted the hearing to go ahead so that I could be cleared. Why would they leak something that happened over a year ago?” she asked.
MK party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said he had not seen the report, but from what he knew, Mokoena had been cleared.
“Yes, she was subjected to a process, but naturally if there is anything of that nature, it has to be proceeded accordingly — any matter that is serious has to be looked at,” he said.