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The woman who accused ANC head of presidency Zizi Kodwa of raping her at a private function in April last year has withdrawn her complaint against him.
The woman wrote a letter addressed to ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule informing him that she wished to withdraw her formal complaint.
In the undated letter to Magashule, Kodwa’s accuser said she had since been “used in ANC fights” which she had “nothing to do with” and this had left her with no choice but to resort to withdrawing her complaint.
Read: Rape culture within the ANC
“After a long time of reflection since I submitted my complaint to your office, I have come to the conclusion to immediately withdraw the complaint.
“My letter, which was subsequently leaked to the media, has caused immeasurable damage to me, my family and no doubt to Mr Kodwa.”
She said she found herself and the letter being used in ANC fights which she had nothing to do with and, in hindsight, she should not have written this letter in the first place.
She added that she had taken the “decision consciously” and was no longer willing to participate in any of the party’s disciplinary processes “now or in the near future”.
The woman alleged in February this year that the ANC head of the presidency had drugged and raped her in a hotel in Sandton in April last year.
“I haven't seen this letter, but I have always knew that this was orchestrated maliciously to tramish my image,” Kodwa told City Press on Friday.
“I remain unbreakable and the story has made me more stronger and resilient than ever before. I wish all those who were behind this ordeal a long life and I seek no revenge.”
Kodwa initially dismissed the allegations as being “replete with false accusations” and he described it as a “feeble yet dangerous attempt at political blackmail and manipulation”.
“At the outset, I deny these accusations with the contempt they deserve,” he said.
He added that he would not “succumb to extortion and blackmail” and would not be silenced through “dirty tricks”.
Kodwa at the time also implied that the accusations were born from “cowards operating from their factional dark corners, using women to fight to neutralise” him.
“Most tragically, I detest the use of such serious societal maladies like rape, sexual harassment and women abuse to simply achieve narrow factional and political ends. It is an insult to the women of this country and a fight against women abuse,” he said.
When the complaint was initially laid, ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte said at the time that the party did not have the capacity to investigate or deal with such allegations and advised that, in such instances, individuals should approach law enforcement agencies.
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