Deputy President David Mabuza on Thursday welcomed a Tshwane North Magistrate's Court decision to strike an application, for a protection order against him, from the court roll.
Jan Venter had obtained an interim protection order against Mabuza earlier this month, after claiming he had been threatened over the phone because he had planned to expose how he has was allegedly bribed to testify, according to City Press.
The report stated that Venter was a central figure in a R10-million defamation lawsuit that Mabuza brought against his nemesis, former African National Congress treasurer general Mathews Phosa.
Venter reportedly enlisted forensic investigator Paul O'Sullivan's services to pursue criminal charges against Mabuza.
But O'Sullivan said on Thursday that Venter had sent him an email saying he had changed his mind and did not want to proceed with the investigation.
He received a letter on Monday from a lawyer stating that the lawyer now represented Venter.
"There are serious allegations in his sworn statement. He supplied us with bank statements. We are still in possession of the documents," said O'Sullivan.
Without a "willing witness", and with his work being pro bono, O'Sullivan said they would proceed with the matter but that it would join the queue behind other pro bono cases.
Venter told News24 on Thursday night that he had not seen the protection order through because of funding issues.
"David Mabuza has the best lawyers on the planet that he sent to court. I don't have money for lawyers."
He confirmed he was not working with O'Sullivan anymore, but rather approaching the Hawks and the NPA directly.
Mabuza's statement said Venter had withdrawn in totality "the baseless and vexatious claims made against him".
"The deputy president has always maintained that the case by Mr Venter as well as the statements he made were untrue and aimed at peddling falsehoods."
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