Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande opened a criminal case this week against a CEO’s explosive claims of attempted cabinet corruption.

CEO Khusela Diko Mdwaba of Talent 10 Holdings had publicly alleged that Nzimande and two fellow ministers tried soliciting a R500 million, kickback on a R5 billion national jobs program.

Nzimande slammed the accusations as fabricated smears, saying: “This has the potential to damage my image as a political person…I don’t want this to be hanging over my head.”

The minister slammed Mdwaba for never privately raising such serious allegations before publicising them. “He has committed a crime by not reporting a crime…why he did not report when he was aware of the criminal activities,” Nzimande asserted.

In his police complaint, the higher education head denies ever discussing bribes with the Talent 10 chief executive regarding the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) project under question.

Nzimande charged the claims amounted to nothing more than deliberate attacks against himself and his African National Congress party months before pivotal elections. 

“This is a smear campaign against me, the ANC as government and (my) SACP (party),” Nzimande stated. “He is doing it deliberately.”

The sensational corruption claims now enter official judicial channels to face scrutiny. Observers query why a purported victim of high-level graft demands would stay silent rather than sound formal alarms.