The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed on Wednesday that they will not prosecute Fikile Mbalula. This almost four years after the Public Protector’s (OB) recommendation in this regard.
In December 2018, the OB recommended in a report that the NPA investigate damning allegations that Sedgars Sports financed the Mbalulas’ family holiday to Dubai in December 2016 of between R300 000 and R680 000.
Mbalula was Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture at that time.
According to Lumka Mahanjana, spokesperson for the NPA, however, following police investigations, it was finally decided not to prosecute due to a lack of evidence to support allegations of money laundering and corruption.
RNews reported earlier that the 2018 report followed after AfriForum’s anti-corruption unit already requested the OB in 2017 to investigate the Mbalulas’ holiday. By August 2019, however, the NPA had not yet taken any steps in this regard, after which AfriForum itself filed a criminal complaint against Mbalula.
AfriForum confirmed in 2019 “if the NPA therefore decides not to prosecute Mbalula, AfriForum may have him prosecuted privately”.
AfriForum’s private prosecution unit welcomes the NPA which “finally makes a decision” in the case against Mbalula after it “took almost four years”.
“This decision follows recent stern correspondence to the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDOP) regarding the NPA’s repeated failure to follow up and deal with our written requests relating to various cases, of which Mbalula is one.”
As regards further steps, AfriForum will now submit a PAIA application to gain access to the case file.
“Once the unit has studied the content, we will announce our next step.”
