Mpumalanga MEC unleashes lawyers on EFF's Collen Sedibe

Education MEC threatens to sue if posts aren't removed

- By Tshwarelo eseng Mogakane

The long-simmering political tension between Mpumalanga EFF chairperson Collen Sedibe and ANC education MEC Cathy Dlamini has exploded into a legal battle after she instructed her attorneys to pursue defamation charges against him over what her legal team calls “nasty and defamatory” Facebook posts.

In a letter of demand dated April 28, and seen by Sunday World, law firm Phosa Loots Inc accuses Sedibe of spreading false and damaging claims that Dlamini is involved in fraudulent activities within the education department.

“We confirm that we act on behalf of Mrs Landulile Catherine Dlamini,” wrote the firm’s director, Jaco Loots. “You have personally stated wilfully false and misleading posts regarding our client... they are defamatory per se in that they depict our client as engaging in fraudulent and corrupt activities that violate civil laws.”

Sedibe's allegations, made publicly on Facebook, include claims that Dlamini manipulated tenders in the school nutrition and IT procurement programs to favour politically connected individuals. He has also claimed to possess video footage of Dlamini meeting with a service provider.