Deputy President Paul Mashatile is embroiled in yet another controversy involving a woman believed to be an ex-lover.
Norma Mbatha, 46, has been served with an interim protection order to stop harassing and stalking Mashatile and his adviser Keith Khoza. The order, which Khoza obtained, prohibits Mbatha from sending messages which incite violence or from publishing anything on social media about either of the men. She was also ordered to delete any defamatory tweets.
The parties are due to argue their cases in the Randburg magistrate’s court on April 17, when a decision will be made on whether to have the order made permanent.
Mashatile’s romantic entanglements have made headlines over the past month.
The interim protection order comes two weeks after the Sunday Times revealed that he is at the centre of a salacious romantic drama involving a jilted exgirlfriend, Gugu Nkosi, who is being investigated by the police for allegedly threatening him.
Khoza opened a criminal complaint on Mashatile’s behalf against Nkosi, alleging she wanted to kill him. The case was opened shortly after Mashatile’s traditional wedding to Humile Mjongile.
Mbatha worked on Mashatile’s campaign last year when he was vying for the position of deputy president at the ANC national elective conference.
In a 53-minute audio recording, which the Sunday Times has listened to, Mbatha and Nkosi discuss how they want to bring Mashatile down for betraying them.
Mbatha says in the audio that Mashatile, who she describes as her ex-lover, will never taste the presidency for hurting her.
Khoza confirmed to the Sunday Times that he had applied for the protection order and that it had been served on Mbatha. He refused to comment further.
In his application, Khoza said he received a series of messages from Mbatha, one of which read: “Let [the] game begin I’m coming for you guys with all I have … Paul will curse the day he double-crossed me.”
He claimed she later said in a recorded message: “You are going to dance until you pay my money … All the best! I’m buying popcorn now and wait for my money.”
In another message she said: “Warriors have taken over! I’ve cried enough and feel for all what’s happening and coming to you … you played the wrong person. “You all transformed a good woman [into] someone I don’t even know but with a mission and [you’re] about to know what I’m truly capable of.”
In his application, Khoza said Mbatha’s messages were “intended by her to communicate to me that if I do not make payment to her that she will bring harm to Mashatile [and] harm my good name and reputation”.
“Ms Mbatha is working with Ms Nkosi in a scheme aimed at extorting money, harassing and intimidating both Mr Mashatile and me.” The interim order, seen by the Sunday Times, stated that Mbatha is prohibited from transmitting messages which incite violence against Khoza “and/or related people”, or publishing anything about Khoza and/or related people on social media or other forums. She was also ordered to remove a tweet in which she mentioned Mashatile on her company’s Twitter account.
Mbatha this week confirmed she had been served with the protection order.
“I don’t wish to comment further, but my legal team is looking at that and they will advise accordingly,” she said.
Asked if she had romantic relations with Mashatile, Mbatha said: “I’m unable to comment on that.”
However, a source close to Mashatile and Mbatha told the Sunday Times the two had been in a relationship since March 2021 and “never broke up”.
“When the news about Paul’s wedding came out, he told Norma he will explain everything to her when the dust settles.”
Mbatha has also opened a criminal case against Khoza at Honeydew police station for allegedly violating the Protection of Personal Information Act.
In her statement to police, which the Sunday Times has seen, Mbatha said that on receipt of the protection order she was shocked to see Khoza had her address and cellphone number.
“I never disclosed my number to [Khoza] and even Mr Paul Mashatile does not have my address or any person linked to him,” reads the statement.
Mbatha also said Khoza had misled the court in obtaining the order, in that she had never contacted Khoza, only Mashatile.
“The messages [were] directed to Mr Paul Mashatile and not him. The message only got to him because he is the spokesperson for Mr Paul Mashatile as far as I know,” the statement said.
According to information on the ANC website, Mbatha was a ward councillor candidate for the party in ward 126 (Roodepoort) in the 2021 local government elections. Her profile states she is an executive chair of two NGOs and an executive in her businesses.
– Sunday Times
