Mduduzi Manana allegedly offered his domestic worker R100,000 to drop the assault charges against him, saying "I’m willing to do anything" to make the case go away.

In a conversation recorded on Sunday night under a tree at the Douglasdale police station, where Christine Wiro had opened a case of assault against Manana, he can be heard speaking in a soft tone, begging Wiro to tell the station commander she was not pursuing the case anymore.

Contacted for comment, the former deputy education minister did not deny it was him talking in the recording, but he insisted it was audio of the family extorting him.

In the recording, Manana, speaking in English and Zulu, is heard saying he is “willing to do anything” to resolve the situation.

Manana is talking to Wiro’s friend, who has asked not to be named.

Manana says: “I’m willing to do anything … Understand the situation."

“Please. Ngiyanicela [please] … I’m saying, just for any consolation, just to take care of umama for what she feels is humiliation, I can give a consolation to her. The money she needs, the money she was earning. I can give her consolation to take care of her health, of her family. At least a hundred.