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Jan Venter, the man who has accused Deputy President David Mabuza of bribing and harassing him, has announced that he is working with the Hawks in an attempt at “finally exposing how corrupt” Mabuza is.
This comes after the Tshwane North Magistrate’s Court struck off the court roll the application for protection from harassment case brought against Mabuza by Venter.
In a statement on Thursday, Mabuza welcomed the court’s decision and “the withdrawal in totality of the baseless and vexatious claims made against him by the applicant (Venter)”.
However, a defiant Venter told City Press that the matter was far from over.
“I am not giving a thought toward that (Mabuza’s statement). I am currently busy complying with state security agencies and the Hawks; I am handing over all the proof that I have that shows that I was bribed.
I admit that I was bribed and I want to prove how corrupt the Deputy President of South Africa is,” said an adamant Venter.
In response to Venter’s comments, Mabuza’s spokesperson Khusela Diko said: “Mr Venter is clearly on some witchhunt against the Deputy President.”
Diko also said Mabuza was of the view that if Venter had any incriminating evidence against him, “he should hand it over to the relevant authorities and put this matter to bed once and for all”.
Venter shot to infamy a few years ago when he became a central figure in a R10m defamation lawsuit that Mabuza instituted against his nemesis, former ANC treasurer-general Mathews Phosa.
Venter worked as Phosa’s butler, but after an acrimonious labour dispute told Mabuza that he saw Phosa and his business associate, Nick Elliot, concocting an intelligence report that claimed Mabuza was an apartheid spy.
The report alleged that Mabuza spied on ANC leaders, including former president Jacob Zuma, and reported their activities to the apartheid government. At the time, Phosa denied fabricating the report and said it was dropped at his house and he forwarded it to ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte to table before the top six officials.
Before the trial began in the Pretoria High Court, Venter switched allegiance between the two men a number of times before he testified on Mabuza’s behalf. The court dismissed his claims against Phosa and described Venter as a liar.
Venter then turned against Mabuza once again. He began his attack on Facebook about four weeks ago, when he wrote: “Why DD, why don’t you just admit you were an apartheid era spy? Don’t hide behind me any more, it won’t work.”
Venter, speaking to City Press, accused Mabuza of having bribed him for testimony against Phosa, claiming that the payments came in the form of cash amounts of as much as R30 000 at a time as well as a car and a firearm.
City Press reported on May 13 that Venter had enlisted forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan’s services to pursue criminal charges against the deputy president.
Read: Another protection order against DD Mabuza
In Thursday’s media statement, Mabuza also “expressed his disappointment that the newspaper (City Press) would give credibility and legitimacy to statements that were clearly unfounded and malicious, believing as he does that this matter was yet another futile attempt to tarnish his name and character.”
The statement also dismissed Venter as “an opportunist seeking attention with no regard for the truth”.
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