Mpumelelo Zikalala, a legal analyst believes the sexual assault charges against Finance minister, Enoch Godongwana may still come back to haunt him.
Zikalala says the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) decision not to go after Godongwane does not prevent the complainant to pursue the matter at a later stage.
The Director of Public Prosecutions in Mpumalanga, Nkebe Kanyane, says the decision follows an assessment of all available evidence. A masseuse at a hotel in the Kruger National Park had opened a case against him. He strongly denied the allegations.
Zikalala says without the full participation and cooperation of the complainant there’s no case. “From a technical point of view if we don’t have a complainant you don’t have a case. You can’t take a person to court because your case is not going to succeed or pass the test of being found guilty beyond reasonable doubt. So without the full participant and corporation of the complainant then there’s really nothing that can be done.”
“But from the political side in this case. Do you really want to be the type of minister who is going to be subjected to these type of allegations that the only time which you are found not guilty it was through a none participant complainant. And maybe a bit more assistant should have been offered to the complainant yet the case can still be reviewed at a later stage depending on the complainant or the charges can still become back if the complainant decides ‘I want to pursue justice in this particular matter'”, says Zikalala.
NPA Drops case against Godongwana, 23 September 2022:
Denied Allegations
In August, Godongwana categorically denied the allegations. In a statement, Godongwana says he was in his room with his wife at the time that the alleged incident is said to have occurred and he says there is no basis for the allegations.
The minister says in the statement that he has always respected the rights and dignity of women and the allegation goes against everything he has stood for.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has denied the sexual harassment allegations that have been levelled against him. In a statement he says he was with his wife when the incident happened. #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/zrCRF0R5v3
— Natasha Nokuthula Phiri (@NatashaN_Phiri) August 13, 2022
