Mary Phadi, the embattled leader of the MK Party in Mpumalanga, is facing serious allegations following the opening of a criminal case against her for misappropriating the party’s constituency funds. The case, which was registered at the Witbank Police Station on November 20, is currently under investigation, with the docket already with the director of public prosecutions.
In response to the charges, Phadi has stated that she will only address the allegations in court. This comes after Sunday World uncovered details of transactions linked to Phadi, including a R400,000 payment made to a promotions company. While Phadi defended this payment, claiming it was for MK Party T-shirts, critics argue that the recipient company was not involved in T-shirt production, raising questions about the use of constituency funds.
According to the rules governing constituency allowances, funds can only be used for specific purposes, such as staff remuneration, training costs, office supplies, and advertising, among others. The purchase of promotional items like T-shirts is not considered an appropriate use of such funds. A source commented: “We shouldn’t use constituency funds for items like T-shirts.”
Further investigation revealed a second set of questionable transactions. Flight bookings worth R90,000 and hotel bookings totaling R75,000 were allegedly made for Phadi’s trip to Cape Town in July for the opening of parliament. However, critics claim that Phadi’s entourage consisted of personal friends rather than official MK Party members. Phadi denied these allegations, asserting, “I don’t have friends.”
Court Ruling and Political Drama
Last week, Phadi secured a dramatic victory when the Mbombela High Court ruled in her favor, reinstating her as provincial convener of the MK Party, member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL), and party leader in the legislature. Phadi celebrated the win as a birthday present, noting that the ruling came on her birthday and described it as a victory over internal party propaganda.
However, the MK Party announced shortly after the ruling that it would appeal the court’s decision. In a statement, Nhlamulo Ndlela, the party’s national spokesperson, explained that the MK Party had not been served with legal papers regarding Phadi’s review application, and thus had filed no opposing affidavits. Ndlela referred to the court ruling as a “gross miscarriage of justice” and confirmed the party’s intention to challenge the decision.
As the legal battle continues, Phadi’s criminal case remains unresolved, with the ongoing investigation casting a shadow over her political future.
