Mbalula Won’t Back Down: ANC Defends His GBV Stance Amid Legal Blowback

AfriForum backs principal in criminal case, but the ANC says standing up for victims is not a crime

The African National Congress (ANC) has made it clear: Fikile Mbalula won’t be apologising.

This comes after Bergview College principal Jaco Pieterse lodged a criminal complaint against Mbalula, EFF leader Julius Malema, and Eastern Cape Education MEC Fundile Gade. He alleges that the trio defamed and intimidated him by accusing him of raping a 7-year-old girl, claims that were later dismissed by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) due to lack of evidence.

But the ANC isn’t budging. In fact, it’s doubling down.

A case dismissed, but reputations in ruins

In 2023, the rape allegations surrounding a young girl known publicly as Cwecwe rocked Bergview College in Gauteng. Her mother suspected she had been assaulted, and a police investigation followed. The community was outraged. Politicians, including Mbalula and Malema, didn’t mince words – going public with their condemnation.

But medical reports later found no evidence of sexual assault. By May 2025, the NPA dropped the case, saying there wasn’t enough to go on.

Still, Pieterse says the damage was already done. Now backed by AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit, he’s taking legal action, filing crimen injuria and intimidation charges, and calling out what he says was a public campaign that destroyed his life and dignity.

“The consequences have been devastating,” Pieterse said in his affidavit. “I’ve been called a paedophile. That kind of label never leaves you, even if you’re proven innocent.”

AfriForum enters the ring

AfriForum’s Barry Bateman didn’t hold back either. He called the politicians’ remarks reckless and unacceptable, especially considering that both Malema and Mbalula have previously gone to court to defend their own reputations.

“Mbalula once sued over corruption claims, and Malema said being linked to drug dealers made him feel humiliated,” Bateman said. “Yet both of them thought it was okay to publicly call someone else an ‘animal’ and a rapist without proof.”

Bateman insists that accountability must apply both ways.

“South Africa has a rape crisis. We all know that. But you cannot throw wild accusations in public without facts. That’s not justice – that’s vigilante politics.”

ANC stands its ground: ‘Outrage is not a crime’

In response, the ANC accused AfriForum of playing political games and using the justice system to silence outrage against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBV-F).

“We will not apologise for speaking out in defence of the voiceless,” said ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu. “This case is ideologically driven. Moral clarity in the face of GBV should never be criminalised.”

Bhengu went further, rallying support from civil society.

“We call on the ANC Women’s League, youth groups, churches, mosques, community organisations – all progressive forces – to stand with us against this attempt to undermine justice for survivors.”

To the ANC, Mbalula didn’t overstep. He stood where millions of South Africans would: in defence of a child.

The public is torn

Reactions across social media and public platforms are as divided as the country itself.

Some South Africans, especially those who’ve lost faith in the justice system’s handling of GBV cases, stood by Mbalula. “He said what many of us feel – we’re tired of kids being hurt and no one being held accountable,” one user posted on X.

Others feel Pieterse’s right to dignity matters just as much. “You can’t just ruin a man’s life based on suspicion. That’s not justice, that’s mob rule,” another wrote.

The case taps into a deeper fear in South Africa: the fine line between holding the powerful accountable and protecting the innocent from false claims.

The danger of outrage without due process

Mbalula’s choice of words – referring to Pieterse as “an animal” – raises difficult questions. Is moral outrage a valid excuse when the facts are still under investigation? Is it ever right for leaders to publicly accuse someone before a court of law has ruled?

In a country where justice often feels too slow or out of reach, emotional responses are common. But political leaders also carry a burden: their words don’t just influence debate, they shape reputations and can cost people their livelihoods.

South Africa’s double burden: GBV and dignity rights

South Africa is in the throes of a GBV epidemic, with cases of child rape and femicide horrifyingly common. In that context, it’s understandable that leaders want to be seen standing up for victims.

But this moment serves as a critical reminder: outrage, while often justified, must never come at the cost of due process. Especially not from those in positions of power.

If we’re to confront both the plague of GBV and the danger of public defamation, we’ll need more than anger. We’ll need accountability, restraint, and yes – justice for everyone.

More than a legal battle a test of national values

Whether or not Pieterse’s case goes anywhere legally, it’s already stirring a national conversation. One that South Africans can’t afford to ignore.

How do we protect survivors and the wrongly accused at the same time? Can our leaders balance moral leadership with legal responsibility?

As the country watches the fallout, one thing is certain: words matter, especially when spoken in the name of justice.

{Source: IOL}

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