Mokonyane was addressing the ANC Amathole regional executive committee induction workshop at the Osner Hotel in East London on Monday.

She said she had initially opted to take the heat “because it comes with the job” and not respond to Malema for insulting her when he said she was controlled by businessman Luvo Makasi.

But Mokonyane has since fired back saying it was in fact Malema who was controlling her for having called her for eight days in December insisting that certain service providers of her department be paid.

“I picked up his call and guess what? These are the service providers that have been funding Julius and doing work for this government and [Malema] himself has his own company‚” said Mokonyane during his two-hour long address.

“All along everybody was reading about him insulting Nomvula saying there is a Luvo who is running Nomvula because he sleeps with her… I never responded but my time came and I said in fact Julius is controlling me because from 15 to 23 [December 2016] all he wanted [from me] was money.”

However‚ Malema returned fire in a telephonic interview with DispatchLIVE‚ saying he had phoned Mokonyane‚ but not because he stood to benefit.

“Yes‚ I called her. It’s not even a secret because workers in Giyani had not been paid during December holidays and they called us. That one has collapsed the department of water and sanitation because of her irresponsible social activities‚” he said of Mokonyane.