By: Basa Mushi
Public Protector, Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane, is once again pulling punches against Transport Minister, Fikile Mbalula’s tweet tirade. Through her lawyers, Seanego Incorporated, Mkhwebane served Mbalula with a letter of demand.
The letter, in possession of Africa News 24-7, dated 10 August 2021, requests Mbalula to retract and apologise for the tweets of 12 October 2020, and 7 March 2021, and allegations made during an interview with Newzroom Africa channel on 13 October 2020.
Mbalula has until 20 August 2021 “to issue an unreserved and sincere apology” to Mkhwebane. “This retraction and apology must be published on your Twitter timeline by no later than close of business 20 August 2021,” reads the letter.
“In both tweets and the interview, you made disparaging and damaging remarks about our client,” read the letter.
Mbalula is said to have uttered the following on record during the interview. “…they are SG’s people; they will report me to Busisiwe Mkhwebane I don’t know for what. But I have been to Busisiwe Mkhwebane and all that but she ruled unfairly against me, it’s a matter of another day but the roots for that ruling also are rooted there at Luthuli House…”.
Mbalula is notorious for his rants on Twitter and has apologised for some of his disparaging comments before.
Should Mbalula fail to retract and apologise as per Mkhwebane’s demand, further action may be taken against him “Our client reserves her rights to seek legal recourse against yourself at an appropriate forum. We hope this matter can be resolved without incurring unnecessary legal costs and therefore look forward to your cooperation in this regard,” read the letter.
Earlier this year, in March, Mkhwebane opened a case of crimen injuria against Mbalula for calling her a “hired gun”.
