CONVICTED paedophile and ousted Kannaland mayor Jeffrey Donson is facing fresh allegations of sexual harassment after a recording of the conversation allegedly between Donson and a woman was leaked.
To clear his name, Donson has laid charges of crimen injuria against a former staffer for “leaking the evidence” in a public meeting.
This comes after a 21-year-old girl claimed that the Icosa leader, allegedly tried to extract sexual favours from her when she knocked on his door for help, Weekend Argus can exclusively report.
The woman went to him for help prior to the local elections. She hoped Donson could assist her family in getting their home registered under her mother’s name.
She recorded the conversation from the onset to play Donson’s response back to her mom.
In the recording, the voice purportedly that of Donson can be heard promising the woman, whose name is being withheld due to legal advice, assistance. But as the conversation proceeds he offers her R40 for taxi fare and a job in exchange for sexual favours. He even went so far as to lean in for a kiss.
The woman who, according to a former Icosa staffer, said the incident occurred when she was 20, reportedly tried to register a case with the police but was unsuccessful.
“The police said she had no prima facie evidence to lay the charge,” said the former staffer who used to work alongside Donson when the incident allegedly occurred.
Among the evidence the alleged victim wanted to submit to the police is an audio clip and a transcript thereof. Both were obtained by Weekend Argus.
Police said Donson had opened a case of crimen injuria against the person who allegedly leaked the audio.
“Ladismith detectives are investigating a case of crimen injuria following an alleged incident at Queen Street, Ladismith, on September 30,” said police spokesperson Sergeant Christopher Spies.
“It is alleged that the suspect attended a public meeting where he released a private audio recording, between the complainant and another person, in the public domain,” Spies said.
No arrests have been made yet.
The suspect in this case told Weekend Argus he was innocent.
“The police asked me if I leaked this audio and I said, no, because I didn’t, really,” he said. “I have never heard from them since.”
In the recording a man’s voice,. purportedly that of Donson, is heard saying: “You are unnecessarily scared, no one will know that we’re kissing, I’m very intelligent.”
“No one will think that a beautiful girl like you will kiss a ugly man like me. Don’t stress – I will not give you a baby because I’m (sterilised),” a man’s voice is heard saying.
“I will take care of you, I will pay you when I have the money ... Just say ‘I don’t have taxi fare’. How much is it?”.
“R40,” a woman responds.
“I’m going to give it to you beforehand,” the man says.
“After the elections there’s more money on the table, a lot of money.”
He then asks: “So... are we going to kiss?”
“No, I have (the) flu,” she said. “Excuses,” he says.
When Weekend Argus contacted Donson, he said that “there’s a criminal case under way,” adding that the paper should wait for the court to deliver its judgment.
Donson also denied any wrongdoing, saying it was a “consensual” conversation between two adults.
In January, Donson was ousted as mayor after a motion of no confidence.
The motion was tabled after Donson and his deputy, Werner Meshoe, refused to step down after it emerged they had criminal convictions.
He was convicted of raping a 15-year-old girl in 2008 and he went to the Western Cape High Court to appeal the matter and was given a suspended sentence.
Kannaland currently has no mayor, not even in an acting position.