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Anele Mda, a political commentator and former Member of Parliament, made social media posts that linked Fikile Mbalula, the ANC Secretary-General, to the 2015 murder of businessman Wandile Bozwana. According to reports, Mda’s posts suggested that Mbalula was directly or indirectly involved in Bozwana’s assassination.
Specific allegations included claims that Mbalula was in Pretoria when Bozwana was killed, had contacted one of the convicted murderers, Vusi “Khekhe” Mathibela, on the day of the murder, and had met with Bozwana and Mathibela two days prior at Emperor’s Palace.
Mda also alleged a fallout between Mbalula and Bozwana, claiming Mbalula was indebted to him.Mbalula has denied these claims, calling them “false, malicious, and reckless” in court documents filed in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria. He argues that Mda’s posts are defamatory, lack evidence, and harm his reputation, especially given his public role and a recent commission of inquiry into alleged criminal links involving public officials.
Mda, in response, has defended her statements, arguing they are part of public discourse and that Mbalula’s legal action is an attempt to silence her. She noted that similar allegations have circulated for years, including a 2019 article by The Citizen identifying Mbalula as a “person of interest” in the murder investigation, and claimed he never pursued legal action against media outlets for these earlier reports
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