Department of Minerals and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) Minister Gwede Mantashe has opened a criminal case against a social movement leader, Zakhele Zuma, whom he believes is a front for the MK Party led by Jacob Zuma.
Mantashe has approached the Brooklyn Police Station crying crimen injuria after Zakhele claimed that he stole R40-million during his time as general secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).
The minister told Sunday World he has also briefed his lawyers to further pursue Zakhele for defamation of character in a separate civil matter.
Mantashe told the police that he was alerted when he was sent a video by his wife Nolwandle Mantashe of Zakhele making the remarks while addressing people in Ekurhuleni.
Zakhele is a self-proclaimed activist for mining rights for natives, operating an NGO known as the Land and Minerals Movement.
Despite his comment about Mantashe that has landed him in trouble, he has said many things before about the minister, including organising a protest at the DMPR offices in October last year, demanding a stop to the export of South African raw minerals.
Mantashe is determined to see Zakhele pay the heavy price for spreading falsehoods about him.
“[Minister Mantashe] alleged that on the above-mentioned date and time (May 31, 2025, at 3pm) he received a video on WhatsApp from his wife. The video was apparently recorded whilst Mr Zakhele Zuma was addressing the people at Ekurhuleni,” reads the police case file, which we have seen.
“He was addressing them about the payment of R40-million paid by a mining company to former employees. Mr Zuma informed the audience that minister Mantashe received money and never paid the beneficiaries.
“Mr Zuma implied that the money was paid in 1999 whilst minister Mantashe was the general secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers. [Minister Mantashe] stated that he never received any money and the allegations have serious consequences as he is a public figure and in government.”
Called for comment, Mantashe said he takes exception to lies about his character.
Mantashe charged that he was convinced that Zakhele is an extension of the MKP.
“The chap (Zakhele) is just defaming me, and I do not know him actually.
“I am not interested in a letter of demand because lomfana uyageza (this boy is naughty). I want to drag him to court straight so he can learn the hard way,” said Mantashe.
“The boy is trying to mobilise support for MKP; I can see it. This forum of his looks like those things that Jacob Zuma would establish as an extension to MKP.”
Zakhele has previously claimed that his life was in danger, in which video he fingered Mantashe and President Cyril Ramaphosa.
At the time, he said unidentified men posing as police had visited his family claiming that they got a tip-off that he had a bomb in his house.
