By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The deputy president David Mabuza’s convoy was involved in a car accident around the town of Middleburg on Sunday .
Mabuza was being transported from Mbombela in Mpumalanga to Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport, passing through Middelburg, when the accident took place.
It is understood his bodyguard has died, a backup vehicle was damaged, and two other bodyguards were injured. Mabuza’s car was not affected, and he is uninjured.
According to police spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe, a tyre burst on one of the back-up vehicles, causing the vehicle to overturn.
“Three members who were in the vehicle sustained serious injuries. One of these members was declared dead at the scene while the other two were transported to a nearby hospital for urgent medical attention,” said Mathe.
Mabuza’s convoy was involved in another accident in Cape Town on February 17 this year and one of his protectors, in a motorbike, was injured.
Fullview attempted to get a comment from Mabuza’s office at the time of publishing the story.
Meanwhile the ANC’s political committee, which is chaired by Mabuza, will meet with the party’s caucus in parliament on Wednesday to discuss how the ruling party will respond to the Section 89 panel’s report on Phala Phala.
The caucus is also expected to convene a meeting following discussions with the political committee, which consists of ANC’s senior MPs including Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Lechesa Tsenoli and chief whip Pemmy Majodina among others.
Cabinet ministers Lindiwe Sisulu, Gwede Mantashe, and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma also form part of the committee.
The African Transformation Movement (ATM), which tabled the Section 89 motion against Ramaphosa, has confirmed that the party will take the panel’s report on review if it does not recommend an impeachment inquiry.
Also the forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan is gunning for former State Security Agency (SSA) director-general Arthur Fraser.
O’Sullivan laid criminal charges of defeating the ends of justice against Fraser at the Rosebank Police Station on Friday morning.
This follows the leaking of Fraser’s letter – sent to the Hawks on 23 June – which implicated O’Sullivan in the Phala Phala saga.
In the letter, Fraser claimed that O’Sullivan’s role in the matter was tracing the suspects linked to the theft, but the private investigator has denied the former Correctional Services commissioner’s allegations.
Not only are Fraser’s claims untrue, but they are also defamatory,” O’Sullivan said in his affidavit.
O’Sullivan previously argued that Fraser’s intention was to derail Ramaphosa’s ANC presidency bid ahead of the party’s 55th national elective conference in December.