Taught ANC a lesson
FORMER intelligence minister Ronnie Kasrils is one happy man that voters have taught the ANC a “lesson”.
Speaking to reporters yesterday at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, where the defamation case he has brought against Kebby Maphatsoe, the Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans’ Association (MKMVA) chairman, is being heard, Kasrils said the ANC had become arrogant.
Kasrils said his litigation against Maphatsoe marks “a sad day in terms of what’s happening in South Africa, the arrogance, the smear campaigning, the calling of people spies”.
“What’s so sad is that this has really come from a party of liberation, the one in which I served my whole adult life.
“One of the reasons I left it is because it fell into the hands of people who behave this way.
“The electorate has very recently responded accordingly and I’m very happy. We need to teach these people a lesson. They’ve become too arrogant and too self-serving.”
Kasrils was referring to the ANC’s vote losses in the local government elections.
Kasrils is suing Maphatsoe, who is also Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, for R1-million, arguing he defamed him at a press briefing in 2014.
Maphatsoe allegedly told reporters Kasrils “handpicked” the woman who accused Zuma of rape in 2005.
Kasrils said yesterday he “absolutely” had no hand in Zuma’s case.
He is confident of victory over Maphatsoe, from whom he said he demanded an apology in 2014.
“That’s what my lawyers requested two years ago, [a] simple retraction and apology. He bluntly refused and has continued to do so.”
Maphatsoe’s defence will refute that he made the statements. “That still needs to be proved in court.
“Our view is that he did not say that … ,” said Mfana Gwala, Maphatsoe’s attorney.
Judge Piet Meyer will hear arguments from both sides today.