'Lies have very short legs': Malada responds to Mashele’s apology

“Lies have very short legs.”

This was the simple answer senior researcher and consultant Brutus Malada had for eNCA’s JJ Tabane when asked what he made of his former friend, author and political analyst Prince Mashele’s apology on Wednesday night.

“Prince could have avoided this ... It took so long to extract an apology from Prince but it was only a matter of time that the lies would be exposed. 

“Lies have short legs and Prince could have come clean very early,” said Malada.

The businessman, who is the husband of former Johannesburg mayor Mpho Phalatse, appeared on Truth to Power — the same show on which Mashele told the nation that his new book The Outsider: The Unauthorised Biography of Herman Mashaba — was self-funded.

He had sought a right of reply after Mashele made dramatic claims about the book which has since been pulled from the shelves by Jonathan Ball Publishers. 

Earlier the disgraced author, who was paid R12.5m to write the biography on the Action SA leader, issued an apology for lying about the funding.

In a brief statement released on Wednesday, Mashele said: “I would like to offer a sincere and unreserved apology for my part in the controversy which resulted in the withdrawal of my book, The Outsider: The Unauthorised Biography of Herman Mashaba. 

“While I was bound by a non-disclosure obligation, I accept that I should not have stated that Herman Mashaba had no role to play in the funding of the book. The correct fact is that the research that led to the production of the book was financed through a funding agreement with Mashaba, to whom I am eternally grateful. 

“I offer my apology to Mashaba, who has since been associated with the controversy due to no fault of his own. I admit that the answer I gave to Prof JJ Tabane, which stated that Mashaba had no role in the funding of the book, was incorrect. I apologise to Prof Tabane and the public in this regard.” 

Mashele expressed his thanks to Jonathan Ball publishers for their professionalism during his interactions with them, despite their removal of the book from the market over breach of trust. 

“I confirm that no further media interview on this matter will be entertained,” he said. 

The author made headlines after the Sunday Times reported at the weekend that Mashaba had funded the “unauthorised” biography after an agreement between the two. 

It has emerged that Mashaba undertook to pay Mashele R12.5m to fund the research for the book in a secret arrangement in 2019. 

The scandal was brought to the fore by researcher Brutus Malada, who claimed he was paid R3m for his contribution. He accused Mashele of “duping” the public by not disclosing to the publisher, Jonathan Ball, Mashaba's contribution. 

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