MP cleared over lockdown breach
ANC national executive committee (NEC) member Mdu Manana is off the hook but his other guest, Lydia Kawe, has been found guilty of the contravention of Disaster Management Act.
Manana will not be criminally prosecuted for the alleged crime after the police and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) found no evidence to charge him criminally during the investigations conducted.
Manana had irked the public when he circulated a picture of himself and Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams enjoying lunch at his home during the lockdown.
Ndabeni-Abrahams has since been placed on special leave for two months by President Cyril Ramaphosa after South Africans expressed outrage at her and Manana’s behaviour. The minister later paid a R1 000 admission of guilt fine.
Manana issued a statement in which he said the minister had gone to his house to collect sanitisers for the needy. But the cops proceeded to investigate him and other people who were in his house, under the guidance of the NPA.
After their investigation, the cops decided to charge Kawe for contravening the Disaster Management Act.
Kawe paid an admission of guilt fine at Erasmia police station on Friday.
NPA South Gauteng spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane confirmed Manana would not be charged and that Kawe had paid a fine.
In light of the information revealed through the investigations, the NPA had decided to only charge Kawe, she said.
“The summons was served on Ms Lydia Kawe on 2020-05-08 at Erasmia police station. She paid an admission of guilt fine to the sum of R1 000. Her fingerprints were obtained and she was charged,” Mjonondwane said in a text message.
Manana could not be reached for comment as he ignored calls and texts sent to him
