Political activist Anele Mda has publicly apologised to ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, withdrawing social media claims she made in July 2025 that linked him to allegations surrounding the killing of North West businessman Wandile Bozwana.
In a statement posted on X on Tuesday, Mda said the posts had generated significant public attention, and after revisiting the facts, she had concluded that the claims were unfounded.
“Upon reviewing the facts of the matter, I have come to realise that the remarks I made were unsupported and erroneous. I hereby fully and unconditionally retract those statements in their entirety,” she said.
Mda also offered what she described as a “sincere and unreserved apology” to Mbalula for the reputational damage and distress caused by her remarks. She further apologised to members of the public who may have been misled by the posts.
Her apology follows an unsuccessful attempt to challenge an earlier defamation ruling in Mbalula’s favour. The Gauteng High Court dismissed her application for leave to appeal.
Court found Mda’s posts defamatory
In August 2025, the court found that Mda’s social media posts linking Mbalula to the 2015 murder of Bozwana were false and defamatory. The court ordered her to remove the posts and issue a public apology.
One of the posts, translated from isiXhosa, asked: “What were you doing in Sandton with the people who were driving the car that followed Wandile Bozwana and whose occupants shot and killed him in 2015, around Menlyn?”
Another post suggested Mbalula should have been jailed.
The court further interdicted Mda from publishing any statement that directly or indirectly suggested that Mbalula had any involvement in Bozwana’s murder.
Bozwana was gunned down in October 2015 on Garsfontein Road in Pretoria while travelling with business associate Betty Mpho Baloyi, who survived the attack.
In 2024, Pretoria taxi boss Vusi “Khekhe” Mathibela and three co-accused were each sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment for Bozwana’s murder.
Responding to the apology, Mbalula said the allegations had been false, defamatory and deeply damaging to both his personal reputation and his standing as secretary-general of the African National Congress.
“My decision to pursue litigation was not motivated by malice or personal animosity, but by the necessity to protect my constitutionally entrenched right to dignity and to prevent the continued dissemination of harmful and unfounded allegations,” Mbalula said.
He said the posts had wrongly associated him with a serious criminal offence without any supporting evidence.
“The impugned statements had the effect of lowering my esteem in the eyes of the public and unjustifiably associating me with a serious criminal offence for which no evidence exists,” he said.
Mbalula said he now regarded the matter as concluded.
“In light of the unconditional retraction and apology now tendered, I confirm that I accept the apology. In the circumstances, I consider the matter to be resolved,” he said.
He added that he would not be commenting further on the matter, saying his statement was issued in the interests of finality, accountability and the protection of dignity and reputation.
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- Political activist Anele Mda has retracted and apologized for false social media claims linking ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula to the 2015 murder of businessman Wandile Bozwana.
- Mda's apology follows a court ruling that her posts were defamatory; she was ordered to remove them and warned not to make similar claims.
- The Gauteng High Court dismissed Mda’s application to appeal the defamation ruling against her.
- Mbalula stated the allegations were damaging, false, and unwarrantedly harmed his reputation, but he now accepts Mda’s unconditional apology and considers the matter closed.
- Bozwana was murdered in 2015; in 2024, offenders including Vusi “Khekhe” Mathibela were sentenced for the crime, with no evidence implicating Mbalula.
Political activist Anele Mda has publicly apologised to ANC secretary-general Fikile
In a statement posted on X on Tuesday, Mda said the posts had generated significant public attention, and after revisiting the facts, she had concluded that the claims were unfounded.
“Upon reviewing the facts of the matter, I have come to realise that the remarks I made were unsupported and erroneous. I hereby fully and unconditionally retract those statements in their entirety,” she said.
Mda also offered what she described as a "sincere and unreserved apology" to
Her apology follows an unsuccessful attempt to challenge an earlier defamation ruling in
In August 2025, the court found that Mda’s social media posts linking
One of the posts, translated from isiXhosa, asked: “What were you doing in
Bozwana was gunned down in October 2015 on Garsfontein Road in Pretoria while travelling with business associate Betty Mpho Baloyi, who survived the attack.
In 2024, Pretoria taxi boss Vusi “
“My decision to pursue litigation was not motivated by malice or personal animosity, but by the necessity to protect my constitutionally entrenched right to dignity and to prevent the continued dissemination of harmful and unfounded allegations,”
He said the posts had wrongly associated him with a serious criminal offence without any supporting evidence.
“
“In light of the unconditional retraction and apology now tendered, I confirm that I accept the apology. In the circumstances, I consider the matter to be resolved,” he said.
He added that he would not be commenting further on the matter, saying his statement was issued in the interests of finality, accountability and the protection of dignity and reputation.
