Kasrils settles for R500,000

Finger pointing and mudslinging dominated a politicised defamation case in the Pretoria High Court on Monday that pitted ANC veterans and former Umkhonto weSizwe comrades against each other.

The spat between former intelligence minister Ronnie Kasrils and Deputy Defence Minister Kebby Maphatsoe played itself out like a drawn-out soapie.

The battle ended when the two reached a settlement. Maphatsoe apologised to Kasrils, conceding he had made false claims.

The R500000 settlement will be put in a trust for the woman known as Khwezi, President Jacob Zuma's rape accuser.

Kasrils was suing Maphatsoe for R1-million over statements he made about Kasrils in 2014.

Maphatsoe had accused Kasrils, a former high-ranking Umkhonto weSizwe leader, of sending Khwezi to Zuma's home on the night she claimed she was raped and of being "anti-revolutionary" and an "enemy of the people".

Maphatsoe made the claims as chairman of the MK Veterans' Association in response to the launch of the "Vote No" campaign, of which Kasrils was a part.

Maphatsoe's lawyer, Mfana Gwala, refused to say whether Maphatsoe would apologise to Khwezi, too.

In the settlement, Maphatsoe admitted the claims were "false, offensive and unacceptable".

"The defendant appreciates that the plaintiff is not the only person who was offended by the statements. Many women in society who are victims of rape were justifiably offended by the statement.

"The apology is extended to all women of South Africa. Many members of the MK Veterans' Association are women. They paid the ultimate price for freedom. 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 pronouncements in their name."

Gwala denied the settlement was made so Maphatsoe could avoid testifying. He declined to be drawn on Kasrils' testimony yesterday that Maphatsoe deserted his MK base in Uganda. He also declined to comment on what led to the settlement, except that it was a "win-win situation for all".

Kasrils said the apology was part of reconciliation. Earlier he told the court of the fear he and his family lived under and the "veiled threats" against him for "betraying the ANC".

"I was living like I was during apartheid . looking over my shoulder . Comrades distanced themselves from me, people questioned me, all because of these malicious and false claims."