Viral picture meant to launch ‘misplaced attack’ on Mkhwebane, says Carl Niehaus 

Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans’ Association (MKMVA) spokesperson Carl Niehaus and Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane have set the record straight regarding a picture that has been circulating on social media. In the picture, Niehaus is seen sitting at a restaurant having lunch with a woman whose side view resembles that of the public protector.

The picture has been criticised by those who were convinced the woman in the picture was Mkhwebane, with most questioning what business they had to discuss.

Saftu president Zwelinzima Vavi was one of those who took to social media asking Niehaus and Mkhwebane to verify the identities of the people in the picture, a question that did not receive a polite answer from either.

Vavi asked: “Wondering how old is this pic? @niehaus_carl and @AdvBMkhwebane is this you? It’s circulating in Whatsup groups – is it you guys [sic]?”

@AdvBMkhwebane responded: “Have your facts before rushing to spread fake news.”

Have your facts before rushing to spread fake news pic.twitter.com/cA19nEjJtA

— Adv Busisiwe Mkhwebane (@AdvBMkhwebane) July 21, 2019

I see this photo of me & my old friend Slauzy Mogami, Chair of the Agribusiness Working Group of BRICS, making the rounds. Someone must have it taken when we bumbed into each other at Mandela Square months ago. Suddenly it is going viral. What is the hullabaloo about? pic.twitter.com/BTc6lxiWPu

— Carl Niehaus (@niehaus_carl) July 21, 2019

Niehaus further released a statement explaining that the woman in the picture was not Mkhwebane, but his friend and chair of the Agribusiness Working Group of the Brics Business Council, Slauzy Mogame. Niehaus said he believed though the picture was a case of mistaken identity, it was “intentional and malicious” and was intended to launch another “misplaced attack” on Mkhwebane.

“The fake narrative that was being spun out in hyperventilating overdrive, was that I have for some reason met with the public protector in order to try and influence her work. Evidently, the public protector doing her job without fear or favour must have hurt and incensed some people so much, as to get them to respond with such stupid and amateurish nervous desperation,” he said.

He further questioned why the picture was only shared on social media now when the meeting took place in May.

“That undercover photograph having been taken sneakily, had apparently been kept on file somewhere waiting for the day it could be used. Evidently, that day arrived today, on this very Sunday, as part of ratcheting up the smear campaign against the public protector, and it is not difficult to connect the dots to understand why it happened now.”

The picture, according to Niehaus, also confirmed that he was one of those who were being targeted by spies.

“We are followed everywhere and our every move is recorded and photographed, and every telephone conversation is also bugged and recorded.

“In this democratic state that I, and so many comrades have fought for, went to prison for, and laid down our lives for, our most basic constitutional rights to privacy and freedom of association, and our right to freedom of speech are being undermined and trashed.

“This undermining of our most basic human rights clearly does not stop with taking sneaky photos, and using them in Stratcom operations and fake news, but as a consequence, our personal safety is compromised, as well as the safety of our families and loved ones. It is exactly because of actions such as what played itself out with this photograph today that I, and many other comrades, are receiving death threats, and why I recently had to open a legal case of intimidation against a person who threatened to kill me.”

Read full statement:

Media statement by #CarlNiehaus condemning the fake news photograph concoction about a meeting that never happened between the #PublicProtector, @AdvBMkhwebane, and himself. pic.twitter.com/iff1B1dmdT

— Carl Niehaus (@niehaus_carl) July 21, 2019

Niehaus recently opened a case of attempted murder and incitement to cause serious bodily harm at the Sandton Police Station following a tweet from a Twitter account that allegedly tweeted in Afrikaans: “You fucking traitor. I should have shot you dead in Angola!!! Your day is close!!!”

Read more: Carl Niehaus to open attempted murder case against Twitter user

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