Tshwane mayor says he was being blackmailed with 'sex soundbyte'

City of Tshwane executive mayor Stevens Mokgalapa says he has been blackmailed with an audio recording containing "supposed intimate engagement" with a member of the mayoral committee, Stella Senkubuge.

In a statement issued on Sunday evening, the city "noted with concern" that an audio recording had been circulated on social media platforms. It contains "purported damning content against the executive mayor Stevens Mokgalapa and member of the mayoral committee for roads and transport MMC Stella Senkubuge".

The statement said the audio purports to be of a conversation and "supposed intimate engagement between the two".

Both Mokgalapa and Senkubuge viewed the recording "in a very serious light".

It had been "used as a tool to blackmail and extort undue favours from the City of Tshwane".

The statement quotes Mokgalapa as saying: "We have been aware of the existence of this audio recording for a few days and threats to release the recording have been communicated to us via an intermediary wherein certain demands have been made."

This included the "immediate reinstatement" of four officials currently on suspension for violating the Municipal Finance Management Act.

"We have both refused to give in to the demands of these individuals who are hell bent on seeing us break the law to give them easy passage back into the municipality," said Mokgalapa, adding that a case of blackmail and extortion had been opened with the Brooklyn police.

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