EFF in hot water over Winnie’s ‘Stratcom journalists’ claims – report

Two veteran journalists have filed court papers demanding an apology and damages from the EFF.

A report in the Sunday World states that the party is now staring down the barrel of legal action from Thandeka Gqubule and Anton Harber over a statement it issued to media and on its website.

The statement was based on an interview with Winnie Madikizela-Mandela discussing the apartheid-era propaganda campaign by Stratcom against her. In that interview Madikizela-Mandela mentioned the names of Weekly Mail journalist Gqubule and its editor Harber.

In the wake of the interview’s release and the subsequent comments made by the EFF, Gqubule and Harber became targets for abuse. Harber said the situation became so dangerous he had concerns for Gqubule’s life.

The Sunday World writes that the EFF and its spokesman Mbuyiseni Ndlozi have been notice of a motion filed through the South Gauteng High Court. They have been asked to retract their statements, apologise to the journalists and damages amounting to R500 000 have been demanded from the party.

The paper reports, however, that the EFF has issued a response letter in which it states it simply forwarded the allegations made by Madikizela-Mandela in an interview with a media house, and that Gqubule and Harber should take up a case against that third party.