AfriForum to sue Panyaza Lesufi for ‘defamation’ over ‘assassination’ claim

After Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi appeared on live TV during a departmental press conference about school placements for 2020 and made accusations against Afrikaner lobby group AfriForum, the organisation’s head of policy, Ernst Roets, said they would sue him for alleged defamation.

Lesufi had claimed that the the lobby group had been “following” him and his family and even been trying to “assassinate” him. The MEC may, however, have been speaking figuratively about “character assassination”.

“I don’t mind you attacking me, but leave my children and my family out of it. There’s no need for you to follow my family … and my children to school.”

Lesufi said he had opened three cases with the Hawks but the cases had “gone dormant”. He spoke about how there had been a public demonstration against him in which an effigy of him had been hanged, but no criminal case had progressed regarding that.

The MEC and AfriForum have often butted heads, particularly over educational language policy and the MEC’s attempts to turn some Afrikaans-only schools into dual-medium or English facilities.

Lesufi said he would not back down and “gone are the days of schools that belong to kleinbaases alone”.

AfriForum, too, are regularly in court.

Roets said, in Afrikaans, of Lesufi’s outburst that the man was “well and truly mad in the head”.

“Lesufi goes on TV, says AfriForum is following him and his children, is hacking his bank account and is trying to assassinate him,” said Roets.

“Hy is so waar as wragtig mal in sy kop.

Lesufi goes on TV, says AfriForum is following him & his children, is hacking his bank account and is trying to assassinate him.

Hy is so waar as wragtig mal in sy kop.

Lesufi will have to prove his ludicrous claims during his defense when he appears in court for defamation…

— Ernst Roets (@ErnstRoets) November 24, 2019

“Lesufi will have to prove his ludicrous claims during his defence when he appears in court for defamation…”

Panyaza @Lesufi accusing Afriforum: "They have been following me. They been following my family. They been following my children. They been tryin' to attack me. They been tryin to assasinate me…". @afriforum @ErnstRoets @kalliekriel pic.twitter.com/VLyjm3aN4d

— Pieter Steyn (@PieterSteynJnr) November 24, 2019

(Edited by Charles Cilliers)

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