Mpumalanga convener Mary Phadi has written a letter to MK Party (MKP) president Jacob Zuma, informing him that one of the party’s top eight officials tried to bed her, and when she spurned his sexual advances, he ran a campaign to discredit her.
He has denied the accusation.
In the letter, which we have seen, Phadi said the powerful party leader, known to Sunday World, invited her to his room at the Capital Hotel in Mpumalanga on August 4 last year to have sex with him.
Phadi stated in the letter, which was emailed to Zuma’s personal assistant on January 16, that after rejecting his carnal advances, she received a notice titled “Notice of recall/withdrawal” on August 28 in which she was given seven days to justify the party should not suspend.
Her enquiries for more details were met with silence, Phadi said.
By September 26, the then MKP secretary-general, Dr. Sifiso Maseko, accused her of misconduct and demanded her resignation within three days.
When she refused to step down, Zuma issued an expulsion letter on October 7, citing alleged misappropriation of funds and tarnishing the party’s reputation.
Former public protector Adv Busisiwe Mkhwebane was appointed as Mpumalanga MKP convener in November, further deepening divisions within the party.
Phadi took the party to court, where she argued that her removal from the positions she held violated the MKP’s constitution and was part of a coordinated campaign by senior leaders, including the alleged perpetrator, to victimise her after she refused to uncross her legs.
The Mbombela High Court agreed, ruling in December that her expulsion was unconstitutional and ordering her immediate reinstatement.
Despite the ruling, tensions have persisted, with Mkhwebane still playing the convener role despite the court’s decision.
In her complaint to Zuma, Phadi believes that she is targeted for rejecting the leader’s amorous advances.
“I would like to put it on record that these accusations have been escalating since (name withheld) made sexual advances towards me that I did not appreciate,” wrote Phadi.
“As a leader in uMkhonto weSizwe, I take the matters of ethics and morality very seriously and with the mandate to serve and deliver to our people.
“As a woman, I am being vilified and victimised since I refused to give in to his attempts of spending the night with him as favours,” she wrote.
“On August 4th, 2024, he sent a text with the effect of 22:54 on that day after we had a leadership meeting in Nelspruit. My refusal and unresponsiveness was the diplomatic drive to manage the situation.”
Phadi alleges that weeks after turning down his amatory advances, the leader used his influence to engineer her removal as provincial convener and MPL in a rushed and irregular process that defied the party’s own constitution.
“Since I refused to spend the night with him, I have been vilified and victimised,” she wrote.
“I feel that the persistent vilification and continued propaganda against me is a consequence of my refusal to give in to his advances. This is manufactured behind the scenes by him.”
According to WhatsApp messages seen by Sunday World, the well-known leader first sent a message to Phaladi’s cellphone and swiftly deleted it.
It is in this deleted message, she said, that he was asking to roger her.
He then transmitted another message at 10:54pm that reads: “Am I going to college tomorrow?” Phadi responded nine minutes later, explaining she was busy with an education report.
“By 1:05 am, she declined the invitation, citing discomfort over the leader’s penthouse accommodation at The Capital hotel, which was interlinked to other rooms.
When approached with detailed questions, including whether he was aware of Phadi’s letter and if he planned to take legal action, the leader dismissed the allegations outright.
“I travelled with my son and another colleague, and we occupied a penthouse. What are the chances of inviting a stranger for sex under those circumstances?
“She must try another trick, please. Sorry, I don’t take such people and such allegations seriously,” he said.
However, WhatsApp messages seen by Sunday World seem to show him initiating contact on the night in question, asking to meet Phadi, and her later declining to see him.
Mkhwebane has since referred questions in her continued role as convener despite the court order to MKP national spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndlela.
When contacted by Sunday World, Phadi declined to comment on the details of her letter.
“This is an internal party matter, and I will await our president’s response to the issues raised,” she said.
She challenged the party to subject the leader and herself to a polygraph test to establish the truth.
“I am willing for him and me to take lie detector tests by an independent examiner accredited by the Southern African Polygraph Federation,” she added.
Repeated attempts to obtain comment from Zuma’s office have gone unanswered.
His personal assistant referred questions to MKP head of presidency Magasela Mzobe, who did not respond to Sunday World.
