Mamabolo won’t back down despite facing R2m in lawsuits

Not even a R1 million lawsuit could dissuade ANC MP Boy Mamabolo from standing by the allegations of abuse that he levelled against Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema during last week’s state of the nation address (Sona).

Mamabolo stood up on a point of order during the evening’s proceedings and said the House was being abused in the same manner that Mantoa (Malema’s wife) was allegedly being abused.

Malema later used Tuesday’s Sona debate to rebut the allegations and level allegations of his own against President Cyril Ramaphosa.

“When I spoke here during the Sona debate last year, anyone who has never beaten his wife in the past 25 years must raise his hand and I said I can do that because I have no history of such things. I have never, not once; not my ex, not my wife. I never laid a hand on my wife.”

Mantoa has since served Mamabolo with a letter of demand which requires him to retract his accusations and apologise or face a R1-million defamation suit.

“Your defamatory statements referred to hereinabove gravely disappoint our client. To proceed to mock victims of gender-based violence, especially in the current climate our country, by accusing innocent people of it just to tarnish their image or ‘settle a score’ is unacceptable of a person in our current society, most especially a person who is a member of parliament.

“As you may, or may not, be aware, our client has small children, the oldest being 13 years old. Your false accusations have now cast a dark cloud over the entire family. These children now need to attend school and be mocked and ridiculed due to the false accusations levelled against their parents. Your false accusations have caused grave harm and damage to the family,” read part of the letter.

Mantoa’s demands are separate from Malema’s own R1 million lawsuit of defamation against Mamabolo which means the ANC MP is now facing two lawsuits to the tune of R2 million in total.

Speaking to 702’s Clement Manyathela on Wednesday afternoon, Mamabolo drew a line in the sand stating that he would not retract his statements and that he would instead prove them to be true by providing evidence to back up his claims, including eyewitness testimony from Mantoa’s sister.

According to Pule Mabe, the ANC is currently considering what steps to take against ANC MPs who use gender-based violence in their cheap politicking.

READ NEXT: Malema’s wife Mantoa sues Boy Mamabolo for R1m over allegations of abuse

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