Bayelsa state govt. denies any relations to SA sex tape scandal 

The Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, denied knowing  nor having any contacts or relationship with a South African parliamentarian, Zanele Sifuba.

Sifuba who is the Speaker of South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) Free State legislature is at the centre of a trending sex scandal in South Africa over a leaked video tape.

It was learnt that the nudes started making the rounds on Monday, 31 October.

The Free State Legislature made a quick response  by ordering an investigation into the Speaker’s sex scandal.

“The Legislature will establish investigations into this Gender-based violence. This is harassment and whoever shared this video must face the law. This is an insult to elderly women.”

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Provincial Secretary, Malefane Bosanku Msimanga, and African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) Regional Chairperson,Edgar Legoale, condemned the ‘insensitive’ circulation of nude images of what appears to be those of the Speaker of the Free State legislature.

The parties vehemently condemned the act and said the person responsible for releasing the videos should be sentenced to a minimum of 15 years in prison. 

While speaking to Facebook on Thursday, Sifuba identified Governor Diri as the Nigerian man who leaked the video.

She described the Nigerian politician as her lover whom she trusted.

The Director, New Media to the Governor, Kola Oredipe, released a statement in response to this allegation explaining that the Governor had not been to South Africa in the last 10 years and could not have perpetuated the act he was being accused of. 

Oredipe described media reports linking the governor to the trending story involving the female South African parliamentarian, as a mere distraction.

He said that the Facebook account which had  made the post purportedly belonged to the woman in question. 

He explained that the scandal first appeared in the social media in South Africa on Oct 31, and was then  linked to an unnamed Nigerian youth adding that those behind the post twisted it with a fake account with the governor’s image with the intent to tarnish his image.

He urged the public to discountenance the story which he described as untrue and lacking in merit.

The statement titled, ‘Trending South African Sex Story: A Mere Distraction’ reads, “Our attention has been drawn to a fake news circulating online about Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State over an alleged nude video leak of a South African female legislator, Zanele Sifuba.

“The post linking the governor to the allegation suddenly appeared on the Facebook page purportedly belonging to the woman after trending for more than a week.

“Our investigation however revealed that the said account is fake and was only created on Thursday, November 10, 2022.

“For a scandal that initially appeared on the South African media space on October 31 and was first linked to a ‘Nigerian youth,’ it is obvious those behind the new twist opened the parody account with the deliberate intention to tarnish the image of the Bayelsa Governor.

“Sadly, even without any effort to confirm the ridiculous allegation against the governor of a state, a few Nigerian online platforms rushed to publish the fake news from the ‘Zanele Sifuba Facebook’ account without investigating its source.

“Let it be stated without any equivocation that Governor Diri does not know and has had no contact nor relationship with the said woman at the centre of the scandal. He has also not been to South Africa in the last 10 years.

“While we have read about a purported attempt to collect R300,000 from her, the ‘young blackmailer’ is certainly not Governor Diri.

“Ask the question: why would a governor of an oil-rich state resort to blackmail for a mere R300,000 (about N8 million)? This is simply ridiculous.

“Clearly, political mischief-makers have gone on overdrive in their desperation to tarnish the reputation of a hard working, calm, peaceful and focused Governor of Bayelsa State.

“This story is just another failed attempt to distract the man that is single-minded on his developmental agenda for his state and who has in the last six weeks devoted his time and energy to managing the devastating flood that hit Bayelsa.

“The public is, therefore, advised to discountenance the news as it lacks merit and has no bearing whatsoever with the Bayelsa Governor.

“Let it also be stated that there are consequences for publishing falsehood. The anonymity of the social media should not serve as shield for calumny and character assassination, with grave legal implications. Unfortunately, those portals circulating this unverified post have fallen into the trap and its repercussions.”