Minister David Masondo 'bullied our daughter, forced her to abort love child'

The family of the ex-mistress of deputy finance minister David Masondo has accused him of abusing his power by setting the Hawks on her for extortion. 

In a statement issued on Friday, the family alleged that Masondo “reduced her to a criminal” out of spite and because she did not do as he said. 

The family said her arrest would not go unchallenged. 

Investigative unit amaBhungane reported that Masondo had allegedly used his position and state resources to settle a personal score with his ex-girlfriend by having her arrested. 

“David Masondo approached the Hawks with a false complaint in order to set up an unlawful undercover operation to have our daughter arrested. David Masondo framed our daughter for a crime she did not commit,” said family spokesperson Cynthia Tsuela.

AmaBhungane reported that the couple had fought. Masondo allegedly bullied the woman  to have an abortion and she wanted their families to discuss "damages".

The termination of pregnancy was evidently traumatic and the woman received counselling, according to amaBhungane.

Masondo said earlier that the allegations against him were cunning, spiteful and bogus. 

“Unfortunately, the media is being used by the said woman (who is a journalist) to cast aspersions on the character of Dr David Masondo,” said a statement issued on his behalf.

“It seems the hope is to use the court of public opinion and exploit the current climate where the country is immersed with the sickening scourge of violence and discrimination against women. The intention appears to be to force Dr Masondo and his family to abandon the case opened by frustrating the ongoing criminal investigations.”

But the woman’s family insists Masondo used his power to have her arrested and locked up over a weekend. 

“He caused her to be locked up in jail over the weekend on trumped-up charges that did not see the light of day in a courtroom and never will. Any investigation on our daughter is a witch-hunt and waste of state resources,” Tsuela said. 

She said Masondo’s alleged abuse of power would not go unpunished. “We are shocked to discover that instead of following custom and tradition, David Masondo offered our daughter money in order to avoid the two families meeting.” 

Masondo, who is married and a father of two, allegedly did not want his relatives involved, or for the woman to contact his wife.