Former ANC MP and deputy minister Mduduzi Manana was sentenced in 2017 after pleading guilty to assaulting three women outside a Johannesburg nightclub.
The incident took place in August 2017 at Cubana in Fourways. Manana and two other men attacked Noluthando Mahlaba, Mandisa Duma and Thina Mapipa. The assault involved slapping, kicking and pulling the women’s hair.
At the time, Manana was the Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training. The case drew widespread attention because of his senior position in government.
In September 2017, Manana pleaded guilty in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court to three counts of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. He admitted his role in the attack.
On 13 November 2017, the court handed down its sentence. Manana was ordered to pay a R100 000 fine or face 12 months in prison. He was also sentenced to 500 hours of community service and ordered to attend an anger management programme.
In addition, he had to pay compensation to the three victims for medical costs and damages. The total compensation amounted to more than R26 000. The court also declared him unfit to possess a firearm.
Magistrate Elvis Reddy noted that the attack had left the women humiliated. He said people in Manana’s position were not expected to take the law into their own hands without consequences.
Manana had already resigned as deputy minister shortly after the incident became public. The case was seen as a serious example of violence against women involving a high-profile political figure.
His two co-accused, Cyril Madonsela and Thulani Mdaka, were sentenced later the same month. They received fines and community service as well.
The conviction remains part of Manana’s public record. It continues to be recalled whenever discussions arise about accountability for public representatives involved in gender-based violence.
The 2017 case highlighted the gap between political status and personal conduct. It also showed that the courts were prepared to act even when the accused held a senior government position.
Years later, the details of the nightclub assault and the sentence that followed still serve as a reminder of the standards expected from those in positions of power.
