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While accepting President Cyril Ramaphosa’s apology, Mantoa Mtlala, the wife of EFF leader Julius Malema, has cautioned members of Parliament against weaponising gender-based violence to score political points.
Matlala responded to the president’s apology on Friday, and made it clear that she would not allow “any man” to abuse her – both physically and by making unfounded statements against her.
She suggested that MPs should rather focus on fighting gender-based violence instead of “stooping low” and using it to settle personal scores.
“Members of Parliament, especially on your [Ramaphosa’s] watch, should focus on how to fight gender-based violence and design ways to fulfill true freedom for women in our country – freedom from the very weaponisation that occurred under your watch,” said Matlala.
“The assault on me, under your watch in Parliament was, in essence, an assault on your daughter, your wife, your mother and all the women in the country.”
Matlala became the centre of attention last week in the National Assembly when ANC MP Boy Mamabolo accused Malema of abusing his wife.
Malema retaliated by making his own accusations against Ramaphosa, claiming that he abused his late ex-wife Nomazizi Mtshotshisa.
This led to both Malema and Matlala threatening to sue Mamabolo for R1 million each for defamation if he did not apologise for his allegations.
This was initially met with strong resistance from Mamabolo who told the pair to meet him in court.
However, apologies have since followed. Ramaphosa offered Malema and Matlala an apology for the allegations levelled against him by Mamabolo.
During his response to the state of the nation debate on Thursday, Ramaphosa addressed both claims saying they trivialised a national crisis. He extended an apology to Matlala and the country at large.
On Thursday evening Malema said he had wanted to apologise to Ramaphosa in Parliament, but he was “drowned out” and had his microphone switched off before he could do so.
“Following President Ramaphosa’s apology to my wife and family, I stood in Parliament to extend the same hand to him, his departed wife, Nomazizi and his entire family. I was however, drowned out by governing party benches without any protection from presiding officers,” he said.
Next in the apology queue was Mamabolo, who took to social media.
He claimed that he had received information of the “abuse” from some jealous friends” called “Friends of Mantoa”, who sent him messages on WhatsApp late last year.
“I would like to take this opportunity to apologise and retract the insensitive statements that I made in Parliament and outside regarding the gender-based violence that was allegedly happening in your household,” Mamabolo wrote.
He has since deleted all the allegations – and the apology he made to Malema – from his social media accounts.
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