Home affairs minister partly retracts statement about Dr Pashy’s passport

22 May 2023 - 13:08
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A passport belonging to Dr Mmereka Ntshani (also known as Dr Pashy), pictured, was found in Dr Nandipha Magudumana's possession when she was arrested in Tanzania. File photo
A passport belonging to Dr Mmereka Ntshani (also known as Dr Pashy), pictured, was found in Dr Nandipha Magudumana's possession when she was arrested in Tanzania. File photo
Image: Facebook/Dr Pashy

Home affairs minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi on Monday partly retracted a previous statement about Dr Pashy's passports found in the possession of Dr Nandipha Magudumana when she was arrested in Tanzania in April. 

During her arrest Magudumana and prison escapee Thabo Bester were found with several passports, including one belonging to Dr Mmeraka Ntshani, known as Dr Pashy.

In April Motsoaledi told a press briefing the passport had been reported stolen by Dr Pashy. 

On Monday he said: “I said in 2019 she reported to police that the passport was stolen and she deposed an affidavit. That is the part I was wrong about.

“I stand by everything else I said.

“Dr Ntshani deposed an affidavit with the police in 2019 and declared her passport was stolen. This is the passport which was due to expire in 2022 and was recently found in Tanzania on  Dr Nandipha.

“On the strength of this passport she acquired a new passport which will expire in 2029.

“On March 27 2023 she deposed another affidavit with police but this time stating she gave her recent valid passport to Dr Nandipha and a Mr TK Nkoana (the assumed name of Thabo Bester) as they were going to apply for a working citizenship in the US.

“I accept Dr Ntshani did not depose to an affidavit when she applied for a passport in 2019 and there are no conflicting versions in the affidavits deposed by her this year. I therefore retract the above statements and subsequent words to that effect.

“The statements were based on the information given to me at the time. The statements conflated the expired passport, the 2019 passport and recent passport applied for in April 2023.

“I however stand fully by the statements I made that Dr Mmereka Ntshani’s two passports were found in possession of Dr Nandipha Magudumana in the United Republic of Tanzania. I would never apologise for those statements as they are true and were made in the public interest.”

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