DURBAN - THE Limpopo taxi owner and businessman allegedly threatened by Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula says he is hurt by the minister’s remarks.
In a voice note circulating on social media, Mbalula can be heard speaking and shouting at the Limpopo businessman and taxi owner popularly known as Malo-a-Botsheba (Stephen Sefofa) for branding his taxis 'Hands off Ace Magashule'.
Speaking to the Daily News, Sefofa said he is deeply hurt by Mbalula’s remarks because it meant the minister would ’either use his connections to burn his fleet of cars or hire assassins to kill him’.
Sefofa said he has spent millions in ANC’s campaigns since 2017, supporting the party with his ANC branded bakkies, taxis and trucks. Recently, he branded all his cars with Covid-19 branding, assisting government to spread awareness about the virus – all this was done with no compensation expected, he said.
In the voice notes, Mbalula can be heard threatening Sefofa that his branded taxis will never reach Johannesburg because he was 'inviting trouble'.
"The taxis you're branding here must trouble the country, hands off Magashule, hands off Msiza. What are you trying to do?“ said Mbalula.
Sefofa can be heard trying to plead with Mbalula stating that he loved the ANC and that he did not belong to any faction, but Mbalula dismissed Sefofa. He apparently threatened to stop lining up his branded taxis, asking him whose war it is and that his taxis will not reach Johannesburg.
"You're inviting trouble in the way of doing nonsense and doing things that are against and anti-ANC," Mbalula said.
The minister was heard saying the ANC is bleeding and comrades were busy appearing in court but Sefofa was busy branding his taxis.
He also questioned where Sefofa was receiving the money to brand taxis when he had seemingly told the minister he did not have money.
Mbalula placed Sefofa on hold before retrieving the call and continued to harass him. Sefofa reminded Mbalula that he had never disobeyed Mbalula since 2017 when Mbalula would call asking for Sefofa’s bakkies to help campaign for the ANC.
"There is no campaign here, we are not in a campaign,“ said Mbalula.
Asking if he could personally go to Mbalula's office and explain, Mbalula continued yelling, saying Sefofa must not go to his office, and warned him that he would show Sefofa and his taxis.
Transport spokesperson Ayanda-Allie Paine did not respond to questions from the Daily News.
Sefofa reportedly intends to write to President Ramaphosa and ask that Mbalula be disciplined and removed as a member of Cabinet.
“I will write to Ramaphosa and ask that Mbalula be disciplined. He can’t go around using his position to threaten people like that,” Sefofa said.
Daily News