DA hit back: John Moodey ‘running away from ‘sex-for-jobs scandal’

The DA has responded to a series of extraordinary claims made by their outgoing leader in Gauteng, John Moodey. During his resignation on Wednesday, Moodey threw a plethora of allegations towards the party he was departing – but John Steenhuisen has moved to give another remarkable side to this story.

DA vs John Moodey: The party strikes back

Speaking during a Zoom conference on Thursday, Steenhuisen revealed that John Moodey was under internal investigation for his part in a sex-for-jobs scandal. It is alleged that Moodey bribed two councillors to make false allegations against a political rival, in order to smear the unnamed representative. The party has also revealed:

• The complaints were raised by two councilors in their Ekurhuleni branches.
• The investigation into John Moodey’s conduct was finalised in July, with misconduct charges filed against him.
• Remaining members of the DA are also set to face ‘serious charges’ related to this alleged sex-for-jobs scandal.
• The DA says they are in possession of phone recordings that incriminate Moodey in this case.
• John Steenhuisen confirmed that the ‘other members’ under investigation cannot be named.
• The opposition party denies that six of their nine provincial leaders are also facing disciplinary action.

‘Sex-for-jobs’ scandal looms over DA Gauteng leader

John Steenhuisen cracked the whip earlier in the day, and certainly didn’t mince his words. He accused John Moodey of making defamatory statements during his spectacular resignation speech, where the DA were slammed for ‘purging members’ and ‘trying to create a new apartheid’. Steenhuisen didn’t take too kindly to these suggestions:

“It is regrettable that things are being played out in public, and in a very defamatory way. John Moodey is ‘running away from a set of charges’. He tried to frame a political opponent in a sex-for-jobs scandal. He tried to bribe two young candidates to cooperate in making false statements to smear the senior politicians involved.”

“We did not want this to go public but we cannot allow a false set of circumstances to prevail. The charges are serious, and proceedings were set to be heard internally in the near future. John Moodey has chosen to leave so he can avoid disciplinary charges.”

“He said he would ‘expose’ members if we came after him. Well, these threats won’t prevent us from setting the record straight. We have a Federal Leadership Commission with its due processes. It’s therefore impossible for a leader to be involved in a ‘purge’, as Mr Moodey had previously claimed.”

John Steenhuisen