Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has apologised to Dr Mmereka Ntshani, aka Dr Pashy on social media, whose two passports, including one that was expired, was found in Dr Nandipha Magudumana’s possession when she and Thabo Bester were detained in Tanzania earlier this year.
The medical doctor wrote a cease and desist letter to the minister, demanding he apologise for the statement he made about her in connection with Bester’s escape.
Ntshani has denied any involvement in Bester’s escape from prison and has said that Motsoaledi’s remarks has damaged the reputation of her business and defamed her.
In his statement to the media, Motsoaledi said that on April 14 this year, during a press briefing, he claimed that Ntshani gave conflicting versions of how she has lost her passport in 2019 and how it ended up in Magudumana’s possession in Tanzania.
“I accept that Dr Ntshani did not depose to an affidavit when she applied for a passport in 2019 and that there are no conflicting versions in the affidavits deposed by her this year. I therefore retract the above statements and subsequent words to that effect. I would like to extend my sincere apology to her in this regard. The statements were based on the information given to me at the time. It will be seen that the statements conflated the expired passport, the 2019 passport and recent passport applied for in April 2023.
“I, however, stand fully by the statements I made that Dr Mmereka Ntshani’s two passports were found in possession of Dr Nandipha Magudumana in the United Republic of Tanzania. I would never apologise for those statements as they are true and were made in the public interest.”
Motsoaledi said the department has obtained legal advice that there were strong legal grounds to revoke Magudumana’s passport and that firm action must be taken to that effect.
He said the director-general would be taking due legal steps, under the South African Passports and Travel Documents Act 4 of 1994, to revoke the passport issued to Magudumana on February 16, 2017 and which is due to expire on February 15, 2027.
In the earlier press briefing, Motsoaledi said Magudumana was lawfully deported from Tanzania and not “abducted” or “kidnapped”, as she has claimed in her latest court bid to be released from prison.
He said the department intended to challenge her court bid to be released from prison based on the allegations.
kailene.pillay@inl.co.za
Current Affairs