Assault case against Mduduzi Manana receives high priority
Christine Wiro claims the ANC MP pushed her down the stairs at his Fourways home, threatened to deport her back to Zimbabwe and tried to bribe her to drop the case.
JOHANNESBURG - A common assault case opened against African National Congress parliamentarian Mduduzi Manana is now receiving higher priority, with provincial police now taking over the investigation.
Manana’s former domestic worker, Christine Wiro, has handed in a new statement to Gauteng investigators on Wednesday afternoon, detailing her ordeal earlier in April.
Wiro claims Manana pushed her down the stairs at his Fourways home, threatened to deport her back to Zimbabwe and tried to bribe her to drop the case.
The Commission for Gender Equality says the provincial police took over the case after Wiro complained about not feeling safe. The chapter nine institution’s Javu Baloyi says Wiro has given police a fresh statement.
“They’ve taken over the case because of the way the investigation was being conducted and because they wanted to prioritise it.”
WATCH: Manana begged me to drop charges says, a former domestic worker
Wiro has been moved to a place of safety as the address of her home is known to Manana, the man who she has accused of threatening her before.
Manana has denied all the claims and says it was, in fact, the Wiro family who tried to extort R100,000 from him.
Wiro says although she has not received any new threats by Manana lately, she still doesn’t feel safe receiving more phone calls from unknown numbers.
Baloyi said: “She’s been receiving calls from unknown numbers although her number was only given to certain people. She indicated she wasn't feeling safe anymore and feared for her life.”
Baloyi says Wiro is pleased with the way the police are handling the case, now prioritising the matter.
She tried to drop the charges last week, but the Director of Public Prosecutions is still considering whether to prosecute Manana.
(Edited by Zamangwane Shange)
