Maphatsoe apologises to Kasrils‚ agrees to pay R500‚000 - money to go to fund for Khwezi

23 August 2016 - 19:02 By Ernest Mabuza

Two days into the R1 million defamation action by Ronnie Kasrils against Kebby Maphatsoe‚ the MK chairman on Tuesday did an about-turn and retracted and apologised for any of the defamatory statements relating to Kasrils.Maphatsoe‚ together with the uMkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association‚ also agreed to pay R500‚000 compensation to Kasrils‚ the former intelligence minister. The settlement was reached at the end of the testimony of Kasrils‚ who denied that he sent the woman who accused President Jacob Zuma of rape‚ that he was a counter-revolutionary and that he was an enemy of the people. Maphatsoe is the deputy minister of defence and the national chairman of the MKMVA. In the settlement agreement made an order of the high court in Pretoria on Tuesday afternoon‚ Maphatsoe and the MKMVA said the allegations contained in the statements Maphatsoe made on April 17 2014 were false‚ offensive and unacceptable.They retracted the contents and irrevocably and unconditionally apologised to Kasrils.They also apologised for statements that Kasrils gave instructions to the woman who accused President Jacob Zuma of rape in November 2005‚ that he “sent” her and that he was behind the rape charges against the president.The MKMVA also recorded a “deep and profound” respect for the role of women in the struggle for liberation.“They associate themselves fully with the struggle against women oppression‚ which continues to be the case in our society‚ notwithstanding the gains of the Constitution."The MKMVA also said many of its members were women.“It is wrong that they must be subjected to physical violence and experience the emotional trauma consequent to lack of judgment when their leaders make public announcements in their name.”At the end of the trial‚ Kasrils expressed satisfaction that Maphatsoe and the MKMVA had withdrawn allegations and withdrawn them unreservedly.“I want to say to Mr Maphatsoe that I do indeed accept the apology. The media would like to hear you accept the apology‚” Kasrils challenged Maphatsoe‚ who was also in court.Kasrils said he hoped and believed Maphatsoe would make a genuine change to his style of leadership.Maphatsoe and the MKMVA‚ in addition to the R500‚000‚ will also pay Kasrils’s costs of the action until August 25.Kasrils said the compensation he would receive from Maphatsoe and the MKMVA would go to a trust fund to assist the woman known as Khwezi for her educational needs and also to assist her elderly and sickly mother‚ whose house was burnt down on KwaZulu-Natal.Kasrils joined the African National Congress in 1960 and was involved in its armed wing uMkhonto we Sizwe from 1963 until it was disbanded in 1995.Kasrils served as deputy minister of defence between 1994 and 1999‚ then as Water Affairs Minister and as Intelligence Minister from 2004 until his resignation in 2008.When Maphatsoe made the statements against Kasrils in 2014‚ he was condemning the “Vote No” campaign orchestrated by Kasrils and other former MK members...

There’s never been a more important time to support independent media.

From World War 1 to present-day cosmopolitan South Africa and beyond, the Sunday Times has been a pillar in covering the stories that matter to you.

For just R80 you can become a premium member (digital access) and support a publication that has played an important political and social role in South Africa for over a century of Sundays. You can cancel anytime.

Already subscribed? Sign in below.



Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@timeslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.