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Mbombela - The gloves are off between Mpumalanga Premier David "DD" Mabuza and former premier Mathews Phosa.
In an eventful week that saw Mabuza being accused of orchestrating a violent disruption of a South African Communist Party (SACP) memorial lecture to which Phosa was invited to speak, the two have finally traded blows in the media.
On Thursday, Mabuza said he opened a criminal case against Phosa for spreading allegations that he (Mabuza) is a former apartheid spy.
"I wrote to the officials of the ANC [and[ the president... to say, president, I'm requesting a commission of inquiry. Let's inquire into this matter, but I'm also inviting the person who is alleging that I'm a spy to be inquired also," Mabuza told journalists on Thursday.
He said he believed the investigation would reveal the real spy.
"Asingene sobabili lamfuleni sisesshwe ukuthi ngubani oyisipayi ngempela [Let's both be subjected to the investigation and see who is the real spy].
I have also opened a criminal case against Mathews Phosa. For now I will say this against Mathews Phosa... you must know that this person used to be my brother. He is my brother; he is my father, he brought me up. What is happening is strange," said Mabuza.
During a November 2014 press briefing, Mabuza said he was in the process of instituting a R10m civil claim against Phosa because the former Mpumalanga premier handed the document to deputy secretary general (DSG) Jessie Duarte.
During the Thursday press conference, Mabuza did not say where the process was, but only mentioned that he had laid charges against Mabuza.
Phosa's response to Mabuza's criminal charges was short: "Bring it on."
"Until now, after three months and so many public threats, Mr Mabuza has not served summons on me. Why threaten? I have not received criminal summons [either]. If that is the route he chooses, we will meet by the river," said Phosa.
Mabuza's Thursday conference was in response to allegations that he could be a former apartheid spy, that he is responsible for political murders in the province and that he hired people to violently disrupt a memorial lecture on 25 January, where Phosa and SACP provincial secretary Bonakele Majuba were expect to speak in Kanyamazane.
Phosa said Mabuza should stop playing politics and show leadership in solving political murders in the province.
"What is it that those who disrupted the memorial feared so much that they were willing to commit public violence in full view of the world? What could be so wrong about address unsolved political murders?
"Mr Mabuza must stop playing cry baby and fight corruption, crime and follow up on all the cold and calculated murder of our comrades. We want justice to be done and not noise about self-preservation in public office. We are still waiting for [his] voice condemning the violence against the SACP on that day [25 January], because so far [his] silence is deafening," said Phosa.
On Thursday, an emotional Mabuza said the ANC and the SACP were not at war, but accused Majuba of having a personal vendetta against him.
"There's a problem with Majuba. Every time he opens his mouth he will insult me. He has called me a killer, corrupt and a spy. Mathews Phosa called me a spy and Majuba called me spy, now comrade Mathews is going to address a meeting of the SACP, I asked him 'what a coincidence.' Majuba hates me like with passion and I refuse to be drawn into that because I have a responsibility," said Mabuza.
