ANC MP Makhosi Khoza's life was not threatened by the ANC, but by a 17-year-old minor from Cape Town, Police Minister Fikile Mbalula said on Friday.
Mbalula told journalists at a press briefing at the Glebelands Hostel in Umlazi that, between March and July, Khoza and her family had received a series of threatening phone calls, SMSes and Facebook messages from callers who hid their identity.
"The matter was investigated as a politically motivated crime, due to speculations by the victim through the media," he said.
Mbalula said Khoza had insisted that the threats on her life were as a result of ANC infighting. "During our threat assessment on her life, we could not identify the actionable threats," he said.
The minor had some links with the Democratic Alliance, Mbalula said.
"This is evident from information posted on social networks, but police don't yet have any proof of her... membership. The investigation is continuing," he said.
Mbalula said Minister of Communications Ayanda Dlodlo had also been threatened by the same minor.
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Investigations had revealed that more than 15 unregistered sim cards, used on different devices, were used by the suspect in the commission of the threats to the victims.
After an extensive and highly technical investigation and "criss-crossing" of provinces, the breakthrough in the investigation was achieved by the Hawks, Mbalula said.
"The person who has been threatening Dr Khoza and her family is a minor 17-year-old female who is at a high school in Gugulethu, Cape Town. Twelve cellphone numbers used to threaten people were successfully traced to her and her mother in Cape Town," he said.
Mbalula said, since August 2016 to date, she had threatened and harassed about seven people working in the National Assembly.
He also said that on August 16, Khoza had "refused" to hand over her cellphone to the investigative team, on the basis that "they were working for the enemy", citing Mbalula and President Jacob Zuma.
"She told our senior investigator that she will only hand it over once there's regime change. I've requested investigators to continue to calmly and professionally request her for cooperation in the course of justice," he said.