A Limpopo taxi boss has accused transport minister Fikile Mbalula of intimidation over his branded vehicles bearing the face of embattled ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule.
Self-proclaimed king of kwasa kwasa music and ANC member Malo A Botseba – real name Stephen Sefofa – whose vehicles have been used recently to ferry supporters of provincial treasurer Danny Msiza to court, said Mbalula threatened him during a phone conversation.
Videos of Sefofa's branded fleet of vehicles emblazoned with “hands off Ace” and “hands off Danny” slogans were circulated online after Msiza's court appearance last month.
“He [Mbalula] said my vehicles shouldn't be seen in Gauteng but I'm a businessman who travels all over the country. So the minister means that my cars should remain in Limpopo. I see it as a threat,” he said.
In a four-minute audio recording of their conversation, Mbalula could be heard asking Sefofa what he is trying to achieve by branding his taxis and bakkies.
“But these taxis you are branding here... you want [to] cause trouble in the whole country with hands off Magashule and Msiza [slogans]. I'm asking you about the taxis you are lining up here,” said Mbalula.
He then told Sefofa to bring his fleet to Gauteng again and “you will see”.
“No, no. You are wrong Malo. Impi kabani o khuluma ngayo ngeke sfike egoli le taxi zakho (Whose war are you talking about? Your taxis will never reach Gauteng). You are inviting trouble, you are doing nonsense and what you are doing is anti-ANC,” he said. “What are you trying to achieve? The ANC is bleeding here and members are appearing in court... What is your problem, chief?”
Sefofa told Mbalula that he did nothing wrong as he “loves the organisation”.
“Comrade Mbalula, what [did] I do to you? You know I love the ANC. And I don't understand where lies the problem with 'hands off'," he said.
“You know me. I have not been working since 2017 and if you say 'come to my office' I will do so. Last time you called and said 'Malo, I need five branded bakkies', and I didn't refuse.”
Sefofa claimed to have opened a case against Mbalula but police the case he gave was that of a person who was "electrocuted".
Mbalula yesterday told Sowetan that he didn't threaten Sefofa but he was reprimanding him.
“It is not a threat, I was reprimanding him to stop defending criminals and causing problems for the ANC. Malo is a well-known thug who wanted to overcharge the ANC for work not done ... we stopped working with him,” he said.
Mbalula added that he saw Malo's branded fleet in a social media post then sent him a text message asking what is happening.
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