The raging war between former ANC MP Boy Mamabolo and the party’s Peter Mokaba regional chairperson, John Mpe, has taken an ugly turn.
A close relative of Mamabolo’s opened a sexual assault case against Mpe at Polokwane Police Station a fortnight ago.
The sexual assault case was opened a few weeks after Mpe, the mayor of Polokwane municipality, opened a case of intimidation against Mamabolo at the same police station a few months ago, alleging that the controversial politician had threatened to kill him.
In a police statement, which we have seen, Mamabolo’s next of kin, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she went to Polokwane Stadium to watch a PSL game with the politician in October 2022.
She said that while there, she went to the restroom, and when she was returning to her seat, she bumped into Mpe, who grabbed her by the hand and told her that he wanted to sleep with her.
“The complainant alleged that she was at Peter Mokaba Stadium with her (type of relationship withheld).
“She went to the bathroom, where she met the suspect, who held [her] and threatened to sleep with her, and she refused,” reads the statement.
Attempts to solicit comments from Mamabolo’s kin drew a blank as she ignored our phone calls and a text message.
Mamabolo later called and threatened to sue Sunday World should we publish the story.
“Should you dare mention our names without our permission, you and your company shall pay us for the rest of our lives,” he stated in a text message.
Mpe told Sunday World that the sexual assault allegations against him were fabricated after he opened a case against Mamabolo.
“I have opened a case against Boy after he threatened to kill me. This is a countercase against me.”
Mpe said the bad blood between him and Mamabolo started when he cited him in court papers when he took the ANC to court, alleging that he engineered his removal from the list of ANC members going to parliament.
Mpe said that Mamabolo further provoked him when he took to social media platforms and falsely announced that a sports event that he had organised in Limpopo through his foundation was cancelled.
Mpe said the straw that broke the camel’s back was when Mamabolo allegedly took to social media and threatened to bump him off.
“I have opened a case against him. The last time I checked with the police, they told me that they were still applying for Section 205 to retrieve the message he sent to the key witness.”
Mpe said he was aware that Mamabolo had been phoning the office of the national police commissioner, putting pressure on the cops to arrest him.
“They want me to step aside. I was also told that when the police who are investigating the matter asked them why they did not open the case then [in 2022], but only opened it two years later, they said it was because we were friends then,” he said.
Mpe confirmed that he was at the stadium on the date of the alleged incident but rubbished claims that he went to the toilet and met Mamabolo’s relative.
Limpopo police spokesperson Malesela Ledwaba declined to comment.
“It is against the SAPS policy to discuss criminal matters of individuals in the media space before [one is charged and makes a] court appearance.” he said.
