Pretoria - Tshwane mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa, who is also ANC regional leader, has denied having a romantic relationship with a former Tshwane Economic Development Agency board member.
The Sunday World reported that Ramokgopa had sought the intervention of the police after the woman’s estranged husband allegedly kept sending him text messages, calling him and accusing him of sleeping with his wife.
The matter will be heard in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court two years after the mayor opened a case of intimidation against the husband at the Wierdabrug police station.
The husband, a businessman from Eersterus, is accusing Ramokgopa, who got married to his former personal assistant Georgia Shekeshe last month, of wrecking his marriage. Ramokgopa took to Facebook and denied ever having an intimate relationship with the woman. He described her as a bright young professional who contributed to the city.
“No person deserves scrutiny of their personal lives. I accept full scrutiny because of the office that I hold,” he wrote.
Ramokgopa said he never knew the husband, until the investigating officer linked him with the cellphone number from which text messages were sent to him between September 2013 and November last year. He only learnt of his identity when he filed a responding affidavit.
In the messages, the man allegedly accused the mayor of sleeping with his wife and further threatened him.
Ramokgopa turned to the police and the man was arrested. He is out on R5 000 bail, Ramokgopa wrote on his personal page.
He said he would approach the Press Ombudsman to seek relief against the newspaper for publishing details of the alleged sex scandal even though he and the woman – who he said he would not name – had unequivocally denied any romantic relationship.
The husband could not support his claim, but the Sunday World insisted on this line of reporting, Ramokgopa said. “Reputation is major currency in the positions that I hold. I should not be seen to be dragging the name of our glorious movement the ANC (through) the mud nor the highest office in the city,” he said.
Ramokgopa added he would also pursue a civil claim against the husband for making a malicious claim he could not substantiate. “To all who have expressed support and my lovely wife, thank you... Truth always wins. Truth will surface,” he wrote.
Both the City of Tshwane and ANC have directed their anger at the tabloid newspaper. Mayoral spokesman Blessing Manale said:
“The office of the executive mayor has noted with abhorrence the reincarnation by the Sunday World of allegations of an adulterous relationship between the executive mayor and one of the former board members of Tshwane Economic Development Agency.”
Manale said the article was intended to create nothing less than a sensational post-Valentine’s Day sales spike and was an attempt by the accused to reach an out-of-court settlement.
ANC Tshwane regional spokesman Teboho Joala said Ramokgopa was an honest and professional man and “this so-called scandal will not do him any harm”.
Pretoria News