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NPA revives assault case against Smuts Ngonyama’s wife for ‘klaaping’ domestic in Tokyo
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has resumed its prosecution of Nokwazi Ngonyama, the wife of former ANC spokesperson and former South African ambassador to Japan Smuts Ngonyama, over allegations that she assaulted a domestic worker at the official ambassadorial residence in Tokyo in 2023.
The matter, which has been before the Mdantsane Magistrate’s Court in the Eastern Cape, was previously delayed for about three years before the prosecution decided to proceed with the case. According to the NPA, the case is back on the court roll and will continue through the normal criminal justice process.
Eastern Cape NPA spokesperson Luxolo Tyali confirmed that the prosecution is proceeding with the matter.
“The matter is enrolled before the Mdantsane Magistrate’s Court and the State is ready to proceed with the prosecution,” Tyali said.
Ngonyama faces a charge of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm following allegations that she attacked former domestic worker Tandiswa Tokwe with a broomstick on 14 July 2023 while Tokwe was employed at the South African ambassador’s official residence in Tokyo.
Tokwe, who had worked for the Ngonyama family since May 2019, alleges she was struck several times on her arms and thighs during the incident after being questioned about what was happening inside the residence. She later sought medical treatment at a clinic in Tokyo, where she was reportedly treated for injuries and diagnosed with trauma-related insomnia.
Following the alleged assault, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) was informed of the incident. Smuts Ngonyama subsequently wrote to then DIRCO Director-General Zane Dangor, apologising for what he described as a “physically violent incident” involving his wife and the domestic worker. According to the correspondence, Nokwazi Ngonyama also apologised to Tokwe, who initially remained in her employment before resigning on 27 July 2023 and returning to South Africa, saying she feared for her safety.
The dispute later extended beyond the criminal case when settlement negotiations were initiated. The ambassador reportedly offered to pay Tokwe R195,231, representing the balance of her employment contract, on condition that she waive any legal action and sign a non-disclosure agreement. Tokwe rejected the proposal, insisting she would not abandon her right to pursue criminal and civil remedies.
The criminal prosecution will now continue in the Mdantsane Magistrate’s Court, where the State is expected to present its case against Nokwazi Ngonyama. She remains accused and is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Economy
Vegetables disappear from South African plates when winter hits
As temperatures drop, breakfasts become toast instead of tomatoes, lunches lean towards bread and soup, and hearty dinners replace lighter meals. It’s an entirely human response to winter, but one that can leave vegetables falling further down the shopping list.
Every winter, South Africans naturally gravitate towards warm, comforting meals, but in the process, vegetables are often the first thing to disappear from the plate. Tenderstem® broccoli believes the solution isn’t convincing people to abandon comfort food but making it easier to build vegetables into the meals they’re already cooking. Convenience is the real fix: making the healthy choice the easy one. It is the thinking behind an approach that encourages South Africans to include quick-cooking vegetables such as Tenderstem® broccoli, which needs only a few minutes to prepare and can be added straight into meals already on the stove, rather than requiring a separate dish of their own.
Cold weather tends to draw us towards warm, filling foods, with bread, pasta and other carbohydrate-heavy favourites often becoming the easiest choice. The problem is not the comfort food. It is what gets pushed aside to make room for it.
The nutritional data reflects this pattern. According to South Africa’s National Nutrition Week, adults in this country already consume an average of around 230g of fruit and vegetables daily, which is just 58% of the internationally recommended 400g intake. That is the baseline in any season. In winter, when lighter meals feel less appealing and hot, filling food becomes the natural choice, vegetables can become even easier to overlook.
Diets low in fruit and vegetables are associated with a greater risk of non-communicable diseases, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Winter also coincides with South Africa’s flu season, making a varied diet especially relevant. Vitamin C and folate both contribute to normal immune function and can be found in a range of fresh vegetables.
The answer does not require complicated dietary changes or extra time in the kitchen. It starts with building greens into the meals people are already eating.
Start the week differently
One practical way to improve winter nutrition is to remove the daily decision. A vegetable egg bake or frittata, prepared on a Sunday evening and portioned into the fridge, provides a filling breakfast containing protein, vegetables and fibre for several days. On a cold weekday morning, having something ready to reheat makes the nutritious choice the convenient one.
Brassica greens work particularly well in this format because they hold their texture when baked and release less water than softer vegetables such as courgette or spinach. Tenderstem® broccoli can be added whole, requires no trimming and is edible from floret to stem. Fold a generous handful into whisked eggs, add cheese if desired and bake at 180°C for 20 to 25 minutes. Once portioned, it can be reheated in minutes.
It also answers a familiar winter problem. Breakfast often defaults to buttered toast, cereal or a rusk when the weather is cold and time is short. Preparing a vegetable-based protein option in advance changes that routine without adding pressure to the morning.
Add to what you already cook
Quick-cooking green vegetables can be added to soups, curries and lentil dishes in the final few minutes of cooking, making them an easy part of familiar winter meals.
The key is to choose a vegetable that holds its texture, works with robust flavours and requires little preparation. Tenderstem® broccoli cooks in three to five minutes and can be used from floret to stem. Add it to a butter chicken or lamb curry shortly before serving, stir it through soup or place it in a roasting tray with the roast for the final ten minutes of cooking. Even a grilled cheese sandwich can make room for a few green stems.
Each option fits into a meal that is already being prepared, without requiring a separate dish or additional washing up. An 80g serving counts as one of your five-a-day and is high in vitamin C and folate, which contribute to normal immune function. It also provides fibre, potassium and vitamin B6. “People do not stop caring about nutrition in winter. They choose food that feels warm, filling and manageable. The easiest way to keep vegetables on the menu is to build them into those familiar meals rather than treating them as a separate side dish,” explains Elise Ruddle, Chef and Nutritionist, South African brand representative for Tenderstem®.
Winter eating does not need to become a contest between comfort and nutrition. The more realistic answer is to make vegetables part of the comfort food itself. When greens belong in the curry, soup, breakfast bake or toasted sandwich, eating them no longer depends on anyone feeling virtuous.
