South African minister Mduduzi Manana sorry for nightclub 'assault'

'That shameful incident should not have happened,' says politician

The politician is alleged to have got angry after a debate on who should take President Jacob Zuma’s place as leader of the ruling African National Congress (YouTube / Motheo TVET College)

South Africa’s Deputy Education Minister has been accused of assaulting a woman during an argument at a nightclub.

Mduduzi Manana has since apologised for the “shameful incident” which took place in northern Johannesburg over the weekend and said he is prepared to bear the brunt of the full force of the law.

Mr Manana said that even though he was provoked he should have exercised “restraint”.

Sexual violence is a massive problem in South Africa. The country has one of the highest rates of sexual violence in the world, with police figures showing 64,000 cases were reported last year alone.

The majority of this violence is against women and the South African government deems a key driving reason to be the culture of patriarchy in South Africa.

The incident happened around 3 am on Sunday after the Cubana nightclub had closed. The politician is alleged to have got angry after a debate on who should take President Jacob Zuma’s place as leader of the ruling African National Congress when he steps down in December.

Lumko Jimlongo, a reporter from the national broadcaster SABC, witnessed the alleged assault at the venue, telling SABC news the victim was attempting to make their way to the exit when she was struck, "she fell on the floor... then he proceeded to trample [her]... and his foot was on her head".

A police spokesman told Agence France-Presse that they were investigating the alleged incident.

In a tape recording leaked to the media, purportedly of an exchange between the victim's brother and the minister, the person alleged to be the minister confesses to slapping the victim when she called him gay.

But he implies that other people who were with him were to blame for the worst of the violence.

“That shameful incident should not have happened,” Mr Manana said in a statement on Monday.

“I know that my actions and those of the people in my company have disappointed and hurt many people in the country. As a leader‚ I should have known better and acted better.

“I will subject myself fully to the process of the law and give it my full co-operation”.

Mr Manana addressed his apology "to the victim, her family... and all South Africans" and explained that he hoped he would be able to speak to her personally to "address the harm that has occurred".