‘Damn lies!’: Carl Niehaus goes off the rails with Twitter rant about July unrest

Suspended uMkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association spokesperson, Carl Niehaus, has gone on a Twitter rant denying he created a WhatsApp group to instigate South Africans during the July unrest.

Niehaus was responding to an article in the Daily Maverick.

According to the article, questions continue to be asked about the failure to arrest Zuma’s children Duduzane and Duduzile, both of whom tweeted some of the most overt calls to violence directly before and during the unrest.

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It also mentions Niehaus as one of the alleged instigators in the July anarchy that brought the country to a standstill.

“Another high-profile figure who has evaded the dock to date in this matter is ANC veteran Carl Niehaus, who was identified by Good as having created a WhatsApp group used to mobilise people during the unrest.”

Niehaus said the accusations are blatant lies.

“Lies damn lies! The Daily Maverick, Rebecca Davis and the Good Party are blatant shame faced stratcom-like liars. I have not created any WhatsApp group to mobilise people during the July uprisings. I challenge them to prove me wrong.”

“I am challenging them to provide evidence, and yes I am going to sue the hell out of them. Here is a screengrab that I have sent earlier this morning to Ferial Haffajee, the Associate Editor of the Daily Maverick,” tweeted Niehaus.

Niehaus also took a stab at anti-apartheid activist and former cabinet minister Barbara Hogan.

“This one must just shut up. Does she think we don’t remember how she dragged her partner Cde. Ahmed Kathrada to a meeting with President Zuma in a forlorn attempt to intimidate him not to fire her with the ANC seniority of Cde. Kathy. Who the hell does that? Now that is entitlement!”

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Niehaus was responding to Hogan’s criticism of government’s Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) policy during the official opening of the Ahmed Kathrada exhibition at Constitutional Hill in Braamfontein on Sunday. Hogan said it fosters a culture of entitlement.

More than 350 people were killed during the July unrest.

The anarchy was triggered by the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma, who was in contempt of a court order.

It resulted in vigorous acts of looting and destruction of property, which led to huge financial and job losses.

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