EFF boss 'threatened to cut up female colleague's genitalia'

EFF's deputy chairperson in North West province boasted that his children were well educated as compared to the party’s administrator whom he called "rubbish".

This was heard in the Mmabatho magistrate's court in Mahikeng on Tuesday, when EFF leader Bungas Ntsangani appeared on a case of assault. who is also the party’s chief whip is facing a charge of assault and intimidation.

Ntsangani, who is also the party's chief whip in the provincial legislature, is accused of beating up junior staff member Maggie Klaas in November 2017. The assault allegedly started after Ntsangani had requested Klaas to report early to work so that she could open the office for assets management officials.

Klaas allegedly told him that she would not be able to come early to work as she did not have the office keys where the assets staffs were supposed to work.

Called to testify on what he had observed on that day, a witness who is also a party member, Thapelo Mothibi, said he heard Ntsangani verbally abusing Klaas.

“He said he did not care if he won't be elected at the coming elections, saying he has children who were lawyers and engineers and that he did not care about rubbish like Maggie,” he told the court.

He said he also heard Ntsangani threatening to cut up Klaas' genitalia, and also hearing a reference to her clitoris being "up" because the party was preparing for then upcoming 2017 December conference.

Earlier in the day, another witness and EFF’s provincial chairperson Betty Diale, told the court that Ntsangani throttled Klaas and punched her with fists.

She said the incident might had happened for less than a minute, contrary to the version of Mothibi who said it happened for three to four minutes.

Ntsangani’s legal representative advocate Modisaotsile Segopolo capitalised on the contradiction and said all the witness gave the court different version of what had happened on that day, especially on how the said assault happened.

“You agree with me when I say, you saw what you saw but that contradicts what other witnesses have testified,” Segopolo asked.

The court heard that Ntsangani and Klaas wrestled for a while as Ntsangani was feeling that Klaas who was reporting to him at the time was being disrespectful and undermining his authority.

He pleaded not guilty, saying Klaas was instead the one who attacked him and that he pushed her away as she was trying to strangle him. The trial continues on Wednesday.