Sunday Times reports that Deputy Health Minister Sibongiseni Dhlomo is under investigation by police and parliament’s ethics committee after a parliamentary staffer accused him of sexual assault.

The ethics committee resolved on Friday to probe Dhlomo after the staff member, a 33-year-old man, lodged the complaint. The offence is alleged to have occurred early last month at Dhlomo’s ministerial home in Cape Town. Parliament confirmed that the matter had been reported to National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, who in turn reported it to President Cyril Ramaphosa. Dhlomo is a highly regarded politician with struggle credentials. Within the ANC he is seen as being well-qualified for promotion to full minister of the health portfolio. The complainant is a researcher employed by an opposition party. In an affidavit to the ethics committee, the complainant said that what was supposed to have been a meeting to discuss the proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme ended with him fleeing Dhlomo’s home after the deputy minister inappropriately touched his genitals before trying to push him onto his bed. But Dhlomo, in his submission to the ethics committee, denied the allegation. He made counterclaims that the man invaded his space and “took a banana” from his fruit basked without permission before he chased him away. Western Cape police spokesperson Col Andrè Traut confirmed a sexual assault case had been reported at the Rondebosch station and was under investigation.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Andisiwe Makinana at Sunday Times (subscriber access only)

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